Kenya has emerged as the country with the highest rate of Artificial Intelligence (AI) use among 54 markets surveyed, with 97.5% of internet users questioned saying they had used at least one AI tool in the past month.
The figures are based on GWI’s Core survey, which covered more than 240,000 people aged 16 and over across the world’s major economies. Kenya ranked ahead of the United Arab Emirates, at 94.2%, and Indonesia, at 93.6%.
The results reveal significant differences compared with some of the largest Western economies. In the United States, 71.5% of online adults said they had used AI in the previous month, while the figure stood at 62.8% in the United Kingdom. Japan was the only market surveyed where fewer than half of respondents reported using these technologies.
Kenya’s leading position coincides with the country’s efforts to establish a regulatory framework for the sector. The Government recently concluded public consultations on the proposed 2026 Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies Policy, which builds on the National AI Strategy 2025–2030.
The proposed measures include the creation of an institute dedicated to AI safety, a public registry and a National African Languages and Voices Programme aimed at developing AI systems capable of operating in local languages.
Globally, an estimated 4.02 billion adults, equivalent to 48.6% of the world’s population, use some form of AI at least once a month. Generative AI platforms are estimated to have reached 2.42 billion users following annual growth of 141%.
The report cautions, however, that these figures measure the use of AI tools rather than the depth or frequency of engagement.
