Among South Koreans aged 15 to 64, generative AI use rose by 3.5 percentage points from the previous quarter. By the end of June, the country had climbed four places in the ranking.
Global use of generative AI also increased, rising one percentage point from 17.8% in January-March to 18.8% in April-June, the report said.
The United Arab Emirates recorded the highest adoption rate, at 73.3%. Singapore followed at 64.3%, Ireland at 49.9%, and France at an estimated 49.6%.
The report found a marked divide between country groups: AI use stood at 28.8% in the Global North and 16.2% in the Global South, a gap of 12.6 percentage points. The Global North generally refers to wealthy industrialized countries, including the United States, South Korea, Japan, Israel and New Zealand. The Global South includes developing nations, among them most of Africa, Latin America and parts of Asia.
Microsoft said limited access to electricity and internet connectivity, along with gaps in digital skills, continue to constrain adoption in the Global South. The company warned that the benefits of generative AI will remain unevenly distributed until those barriers are addressed.