The United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and Norway have emerged as global leaders in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), while Pakistan remains far behind, with only a small portion of its population using AI tools in daily life.
This revelation was made in Microsoft’s AI Economy Institute’s latest publication, the “AI Diffusion Report 2025.” The report provides a detailed overview of AI adoption, integration, and growth across the public and private sectors in 170 countries.
According to the report, more than 50% of the workforce in the UAE and Singapore regularly uses AI technologies, placing these nations at the top of the global rankings.
In contrast, AI adoption in Pakistan is below 15%, with most people still not using artificial intelligence for work or education.
Experts attribute Pakistan’s slow progress in AI development to limited internet access, low digital literacy, and the lack of AI tools in local languages.
The report notes that countries where citizens can use AI in their own languages — such as English or Arabic — are witnessing rapid adoption rates.
Among Muslim countries, the UAE leads the way, followed by Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Qatar, and Indonesia, which are all heavily investing in AI education, data centers, and government-led innovation programs.
The report also states that Israel is among the seven nations developing advanced AI models, ranking seventh behind the United States, China, South Korea, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
While Pakistan is not yet among AI-developing countries, the report emphasizes that improved digital education, internet access, and skill development could significantly strengthen its position in the AI landscape.
Finally, the study urges global cooperation to narrow the growing AI divide between rich and poor nations, ensuring that all countries benefit equally from the transformative potential of artificial intelligence.
