Around the world, 17.8 per cent of working-age adults – almost one in five – now use AI regularly. From automating complex tasks to analysing vast swathes of data, artificial intelligence has become more commonplace in the last few years than ever before.

However, such an uptick in usage has raised concerns: the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that AI could worsen global financial inequality and affect nearly 40 per cent of jobs. There also remain concerns over the errors that AI systems can make – from asserting falsehoods to ‘hallucinating’ entirely fake sources.

Still, AI remains a key cornerstone in the working lives of many individuals around the globe.

Below are the five countries, in reverse order, that have adopted AI the most. This is calculated by taking the share of each country’s working-age population using AI tools in Q1 2026 – based on Microsoft estimates of users engaging with AI for at least 90 minutes per month.

5) France – 47.8 per cent

Le Chat on phone — Le Chat is Mistral’s generative AI tool. Image: Shutterstock

At number five is France, which has emerged as one of Europe’s leading centres for artificial intelligence. In Paris alone, more than 1,000 AI start-ups have begun.

The nation’s flagship AI company, Mistral AI, was founded in 2023 and is often viewed as Europe’s biggest rival to US-based firms such as OpenAI and Anthropic.

Back in 2018, France was among the first countries to launch a national strategy, unveiling a $1.5billion programme to develop AI research and fund AI and digital innovation.

4) Ireland – 48.4 per cent

Ireland ranks fourth globally for AI adoption, with almost 50 per cent of working-age adults using AI tools for at least 90 minutes per month. Despite its small population of around 5.4 million people, Ireland has become a vital technological hub in Europe.

Dublin serves as the European headquarters for businesses including Google, Meta, LinkedIn, X and TikTok. Such a high concentration of multinational firms has attracted a highly skilled workforce, fostering rapid adoption of AI in the country.

In addition, Ireland is home to one of Europe’s largest concentrations of data centres. By 2025, more than 80 were in operation, with most concentrated around Dublin.

Another reason to explain the nation’s high adoption of AI is its young population. With one of the youngest populations in the EU, residents have high levels of digital literacy.

3) Norway – 48.6 per cent

Norway has long been known as one of the world’s most digitally connected societies – almost 100 per cent of its population has baseline digital skills. Online banking, electronic identification systems and cashless payments are all deeply embedded in everyday life. As such, the transition to using new tools like AI was made much smoother.

In addition, Norway’s economy is well-suited to AI-assisted workflows, with major industries such as engineering, finance, research, and technology dominating the workforce.

2) Singapore – 63.4 per cent

A woman paying with contactless payment on phone — High digital literacy – from contactless payments to smartphone usage – has made Norway primed for strong AI adoption. Image: Shutterstock

Like France, Singapore was one of the first countries in the world to adopt a national AI strategy. Back in 2019, it identified AI as a key driver of future economic growth, and ever since, the technology has been promoted across transport, education, finance and public service sectors.

In a similar vein to Norway, much of Singapore’s population is digitally literate. Smartphone ownership is nearly universal, and digital services are well-integrated into everyday life, making the adoption of artificial intelligence fairly straightforward.

AI has also been seen as a ‘game-changer’ for companies in Singapore, helping boost their productivity and operations in a labour-short economy.

1) United Arab Emirates – 70.1 per cent

In 2017, the UAE was the first country in the world to appoint a Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence. Almost ten years on, the government has continually prioritised AI in its economic development strategy, investing billions of dollars into AI infrastructure, research and technology companies.

The world’s first AI minister, Omar bin Sultan Al Olama. Video: Dan Murphy/CNBC

This month, the UAE announced it would convert 50 per cent of government operations, procedures, and services into AI-assistant-supported models within two years.

Many factors contribute to high AI adoption in the UAE; strong, established digital literacy prior to AI’s introduction was a significant factor. Additionally, language played a key role. Although Arabic is the official language of the UAE, English is the dominant language in business and international commerce. Because most major AI systems were developed in English, users in the UAE faced relatively few language barriers when adopting these new tools.

In 2025, the UAE launched its own Arabic language AI model, further accelerating the adoption of the technology.

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