# Measuring AI Diffusion: A Population-Normalized Metric for Tracking Global AI Usage

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.02781 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.02781/

## Key facts

- Cited by 5 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 2 of its 22 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 4 Nov 2025.

## Builds on (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [Artificial Intelligence Index Report 2025](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.07139/) (2025)
- [The Global AI Vibrancy Tool](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2412.04486/) (2024)

## Built on by (most cited first, 5 of 5)

- [AI in the Enterprise: How People Use M365 Copilot Chat](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.23958/) (2026)
- [Google's AI & Economy ATLAS v1.0: Mapping Gemini Usage in the Economy](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.00038/) (2026)
- [BYOL: Bring Your Own Language Into LLMs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.10804/) (2026)
- [How Early Adopters Used Generative AI Worldwide: Variation by Country Income and Language](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.30685/) (2026)
- [XLGoBench: Detecting cross-lingual skill gaps with algorithmic tasks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.30788/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Measuring global AI diffusion remains challenging due to a lack of population-normalized, cross-country usage data. We introduce AI User Share, a novel indicator that estimates the share of each country's working-age population actively using AI tools. Built from anonymized Microsoft telemetry and adjusted for device access and mobile scaling, this metric spans 147 economies and provides consistent, real-time insight into global AI diffusion. We find wide variation in adoption, with a strong correlation between AI User Share and GDP. High uptake is concentrated in developed economies, though usage among internet-connected populations in lower-income countries reveals substantial latent demand. We also detect sharp increases in usage following major product launches, such as DeepSeek in early 2025. While the metric's reliance solely on Microsoft telemetry introduces potential biases related to this user base, it offers an important new lens into how AI is spreading globally. AI User Share enables timely benchmarking that can inform data-driven AI policy.