Kenya Records World's Highest Monthly AI Use, Despite Low Internet Penetration

Nearly every connected adult in Kenya is now using artificial intelligence in some capacity, according to quarterly survey data published by DataReportal and GWI.

Across the final months of 2025, 97.5% of surveyed Kenyan internet users aged 16 and older reported using at least one AI tool in the previous month. That share outpaces every other major economy tracked in the 54-country dataset, including the United Arab Emirates (94.2%), Indonesia (93.6%), and the global average of 81.2%.

DataReportal estimates that Kenya had 23.4 million internet users at the end of 2025, which represents roughly 40.5% of the total population.

Part of the high adoption rate reflects how broadly GWI tracks the category. The measure includes standalone services such as ChatGPT and Claude alongside AI features built directly into software like Canva, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Office. Under that definition, routine workplace formatting or visual generation counts toward the total just as much as dedicated text generation.

The data does not suggest Kenya is suddenly dominating global computing power, venture investment, or proprietary model training. What it shows instead is an online population that incorporates software features almost immediately once available.

The revealing takeaway sits in the gap between 97.5% and 40.5%. AI has reached nearly every individual within Kenya's connected population, even while basic access to the internet itself remains far from universal.