The latest edition of Microsoft's Global AI Adoption Index, covering developments through March 2026, assesses the spread of AI use across the world's economies and provides a broad picture of the technology's penetration in different countries. The index categorizes economies according to the share of AI users, from the lowest level of adoption to the highest, while some countries could not be evaluated because of insufficient data.
According to the report, the United Arab Emirates leads the world with 70.1% AI adoption, followed by Singapore with 63.4%. In Europe, Norway (48.6%), Ireland (48.4%), and France (47.8%) rank among the leading countries in AI usage.
The global distribution of the index shows that North America, much of Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand are among the economies with the highest AI penetration. By contrast, parts of Africa, Russia, some Central Asian countries, and several developing economies remain in the lower-adoption group. In South America and Asia, performance varies, with some economies reaching moderate or high levels of AI use.
Iran's score of 12.6% places it 85th globally. Although the country still trails leading economies by a significant margin, the report's most notable finding is Iran's approximately 30% increase compared with the same period last year, indicating a rapid rise in the use of AI tools and technologies.
This growth can be linked to wider AI adoption in education, content creation, digital businesses, knowledge-based companies, research, financial services, healthcare, industry, and e-commerce. Greater public use of AI-based tools and the gradual expansion of technological infrastructure have also contributed to Iran's improved position in the index.
At the same time, the gap with leading countries suggests that higher rankings will require further development of digital infrastructure, investment in data centers, support for innovative companies, training of specialized human resources, easier access to advanced technologies, and implementation of national AI policies.
Overall, Microsoft's Global AI Adoption Index indicates that global competition in artificial intelligence is advancing at an unprecedented pace. Countries that integrate AI earlier into their economies, industries, and services are likely to capture a larger share of the future economy and gain stronger competitive advantages. In this context, Iran's 30% growth, although starting from a lower base, signals accelerating AI penetration and a gradual move toward a digital and knowledge-based economy.
NOURNEWS