SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Generative artificial intelligence is being used by 17.8 per cent of the world’s working-age population, but the gap between wealthy and developing nations continues to widen, according to a report published Tuesday by Microsoft.

In the first quarter of 2026, 27.5 per cent of people aged 15-64 in developed countries used a generative AI tool, compared with 15.4 per cent in the developing world — a gap that widened by 1.5 percentage points from the second half of 2025, according to the report’s estimates.

The divide stems from significant inequality in access to internet connectivity, basic digital skills and electricity, according to the Microsoft AI Economy Institute.