Another Crazy Day in AI: How the World is Really Adopting AI (And Who's Being Left Behind)
- Wowza Team
- Jan 14
- 4 min read
Hello, AI Enthusiasts.
Here's another crazy day in AI:
New data on worldwide AI adoption patterns
Gemini turns on Personal Intelligence
The simple framework behind great AI output
Some AI tools to try out
🎧 Listen to a quick breakdown of today’s stories.
TODAY'S FEATURED ITEM: Microsoft's New Data on Worldwide AI Adoption
Image Credit: Wowza (created with Ideogram)
Which countries are actually using AI—and does yours know where it stands?
Microsoft's latest AI Diffusion Report tracks how artificial intelligence is spreading worldwide, and the findings reveal some unexpected patterns. In a recent Tools and Weapons podcast conversation, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith sits down with Juan Lavista Ferres, Chief Data Scientist and Director of the AI for Good Lab, to discuss what their global data shows about AI adoption through 2026. They examine why certain nations have embraced AI faster than others, what’s driving these differences, and what the patterns might mean for economic development in the coming years.
What the numbers show:
Global North countries have reached 24.7% AI adoption while the Global South stands at 14.1%, with the distance between them growing rather than closing
UAE maintains the top spot globally with 60% adoption and continues growing at 4.6% even at high penetration levels
South Korea jumped from 25th to 18th place worldwide after implementing national AI training initiatives and seeing improved Korean language performance in newer models
United States ranks 24th in adoption while leading in AI innovation and infrastructure
DeepSeek, a free and open-weight Chinese AI model, has gained significant users in China, Russia, and multiple African nations
Countries investing in workforce AI training show higher adoption than those concentrating mainly on infrastructure
African countries display growing AI usage, particularly of Chinese models, as the continent's young population expands rapidly
The report presents something worth thinking about: being good at building technology doesn't always mean being good at using it. Countries like UAE and South Korea have gotten more of their populations using AI through focused training programs and making sure the tools work well in their languages. Meanwhile, nations with world-class AI labs sometimes find their own citizens lag behind in actual usage. The data doesn't say one approach is right or wrong, but it does show they produce different results.
What makes this particularly relevant now is the speed at which these patterns are developing. The gap between regions with high and low AI adoption is widening in real time, measurable from one six-month period to the next. Whether you see that as a problem, an opportunity, or just an interesting data point probably depends on where you sit and what you care about. Either way, knowing where countries actually stand seems more useful than assuming we already know.
Watch on YouTube here.
Listen on Apple Podcasts here.
Listen on Spotify here.
OTHER INTERESTING AI HIGHLIGHTS:
Gemini Turns on Personal Intelligence
/Josh Woodward, (VP, Google Labs, Gemini & AI Studio), on Google Blogs — The Keyword
Google is rolling out a new feature that lets Gemini pull from your own Gmail, Photos, YouTube and Search history to give more tailored answers. Instead of acting like a generic chatbot, it can now recall things you’ve done, places you’ve been, and preferences you’ve shown, as long as you choose to connect those apps. In a personal example, Gemini helped identify a minivan’s tire size, license plate, and even suggest road-trip-friendly options by referencing stored emails and photos. Google says the feature is designed to make AI feel more like a helpful assistant that understands your real life, not just the web.
Read more here.
The Simple Framework Behind Great AI Output
/Sophie Caldwell, (Associate Reporter), on CNBC Make It
AI experts say most people don’t get great results from tools like ChatGPT because they treat them like one-and-done search boxes. Jordan Wilson, an AI professor and podcast host, teaches a method called “prime, prompt, polish” that encourages users to give context first, ask clearly, and then refine the output through follow-up. The idea is to interact with AI more like you would with a human collaborator rather than issuing a single command. By turning prompting into a conversation, users can get more accurate, useful and creative results.
Check it out here.
SOME AI TOOLS TO TRY OUT:
That’s a wrap on today’s Almost Daily craziness.
Catch us almost every day—almost! 😉
EXCITING NEWS:
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