Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
An OECD report finds that in 2025, over one-third of individuals in OECD countries reported using generative AI tools, reflecting rapid AI integration into daily life. Usage varied significantly across demographics, with a 53.6 percentage point gap between age groups and roughly 21 percentage point differences by education and income levels. The gender gap was smaller at 4.2 points. Adoption was highest among students aged 16 and older, with three-quarters using AI tools, and among those connected to the labor market—41.1% of employed and 36.7% of unemployed individuals. Retired and inactive groups reported much lower adoption rates at 12.5%.
Firm-level AI adoption also grew, with 20.2% of firms in OECD countries using AI in 2025, up from 14.2% in 2024 and 8.7% in 2023, more than doubling in two years. The ICT sector led with 57.3% adoption, followed by professional and scientific services at 36.8%. Growth was especially strong in industries previously slower to adopt, including accommodation and food services (62.5% year-on-year growth) and construction (59.1%), while other industries had positive growth from 25.8% to 51.7%.
Investment trends show U.S. venture capital investors provided 43% of global AI funding in 2020, compared to 20% from China and 9% from the EU27, highlighting geographic concentrations in AI financing. These trends may shape the global development of AI.
In global research, China produced 22% of AI publications, the European Union 14%, and the U.S. 11%. The rise in Chinese publications since 2016 aligns with its 2017 New Generation AI Development Plan, indicating a strategic focus on AI R&D.