> **来源：[研报客](https://pc.yanbaoke.cn)** # Global AI Diffusion Q1 2026 Trends and Insights Summary ## Core Content The first quarter of 2026 saw continued global acceleration in AI adoption, with AI usage increasing to **17.8%** of the working age population (ages 15-64) from **16.3%** in the second half of 2025, representing a **1.5 percentage point increase**. This growth highlights the expanding role of AI in everyday life and professional settings. ## Main Points - **AI Usage Growth**: AI adoption increased by 1.5 percentage points globally, with 26 economies now exceeding **30%** usage. - **Top AI Diffusion Leaderboard**: - **UAE** led with **70.1%** AI usage. - **United States** rose from **24th** to **21st** position with a **31.3%** usage rate. - **Regional Disparities**: - The **Global North** saw AI usage increase to **27.5%**, up **2.8 percentage points**. - The **Global South** usage reached **15.4%**, up **1.3 percentage points**. - The **AI gap** between the Global North and South widened. - **Asia's Growth Surge**: - Asia is experiencing a **broad growth wave**, with **12 of 15 fastest-growing economies** in the region. - **South Korea**, **Thailand**, and **Japan** showed the most significant increases in AI usage. - **Language and Multimodal AI**: - Enhanced **local language support** and **multimodal interaction** are key drivers of AI adoption in diverse user groups. - Improvements in multilingual AI performance (e.g., **MMMLU** benchmark) have made AI tools more accessible for use in **messaging, search, learning, and content creation**. - **AI Coding Capabilities**: - The **introduction and evolution** of AI coding models like **Claude Opus 4.5**, **Codex**, and **GitHub Copilot** have led to a **78% year-over-year increase** in **Git pushes** globally. - These tools are **reducing the time to market** for software and **increasing productivity**, potentially leading to **more software development activity**. - **Labor Market Impact**: - **Software developer employment** reached **2.2 million** in 2025, up **8.5%** year over year. - Early data for Q1 2026 shows a **4% increase** in software developer employment in the U.S. - **Japan's Progress**: - Japan's AI diffusion ranking improved from **56th** in H1 2025 to **48th** in Q1 2026. - AI usage in Japan increased by **3.4 percentage points**, more than **three times the global average**. - **Japanese language AI models** have improved significantly, with **90% accuracy** in some professional exams and **80% accuracy** on the **MMLU** benchmark. ## Key Insights - **Asia's Role**: - Asia is becoming a **major growth engine** for AI diffusion. - Countries like **Japan**, **South Korea**, and several **emerging economies** are leading in AI adoption due to **enhanced multilingual AI capabilities** and **digital engagement**. - **AI's Economic Impact**: - AI is **transforming software development** by increasing **code production**, **repository creation**, and **AI-assisted workflows**. - The **rate of translating ideas into code** has never been faster, thanks to **new coding models** and **agentic tools**. - **Challenges and Opportunities**: - The **Global North-South divide** in AI adoption is **worsening**, driven by **systemic challenges** such as **limited electricity access**, **internet connectivity**, and **digital skills**. - Addressing these **foundational gaps** is essential to ensure **equitable AI diffusion** and **global benefits**. - **Methodology**: - AI diffusion is measured as the **share of working-age individuals** using a **generative AI product**. - The metric is adjusted for **OS and device-market share**, **internet penetration**, and **country population**. - Microsoft continues to refine its **AI diffusion measurement** through the **Microsoft AI Economy Institute**. ## Conclusion AI adoption is accelerating in Q1 2026, with the **Global North** pulling ahead of the **Global South** and **Asia** emerging as a key growth region. Enhanced **local language support**, **multimodal interaction**, and **advanced coding models** are driving **broader and faster AI diffusion**, especially in countries like **Japan** and **South Korea**. While these developments bring significant **productivity gains** and **economic opportunities**, they also highlight the need for **global efforts** to address **systemic inequalities** in AI access and adoption.