Analyzing the AI Readiness Index 2025 and Global AI Adoption

As global AI adoption accelerates, the relationship between economic strength and technological readiness has never been more visible. In line with broader MEAPT venture capital trends, which continue to emphasise digital infrastructure and innovation capacity, the latest global figures highlight how unevenly AI tools are being integrated into national workforces around the world. It’s a disparity clearly visible within the latest AI readiness index 2025.

AI Leaders: UAE & Singapore Outperform Global Benchmarks in AI Readiness Index 2025

The two highest-adopting economies in the dataset—the UAE (59.4%) and Singapore (58.6%)—demonstrate how sustained investment in connectivity, cloud infrastructure, digital skills, and innovation ecosystems delivers measurable impact.

Both economies have strategically aligned national AI strategies with labour-market development, mirroring similar patterns seen in MEAPT venture capital flows toward AI-centric and data-driven sectors.

High-Income Economies Continue to Dominate AI Uptake

Across Europe, adoption rates remain strong:

• Norway (45.3%)
• Ireland (41.7%)
• France (40.9%)

These countries benefit from mature digital infrastructure, R&D-oriented policy environments, and strong private-sector incentives to embed AI in both public services and enterprise workflows. Their performance illustrates a broader global finding: AI diffusion closely tracks GDP per capita, with higher-income markets adopting faster and at deeper levels. Furthermore, the data shows that adoption correlates strongly with GDP per capita. The largest disparities emerging among countries below $20,000 GDP per capita, which includes all least-developed countries.

Global South Disparity in AI Readiness Index 2025

Much of Africa, South Asia, and parts of Latin America show lower diffusion, driven by:

• Limited broadband reach
• Gaps in digital-skills readiness
• Slow enterprise digitisation cycles
• Lower availability of AI-ready data infrastructure

This digital divide directly impacts where AI-driven growth can scale. Ultimately, it will shape how venture capital, including MEAPT venture capital strategies, is allocated across emerging markets.

Why AI Diffusion Matters for Future Growth

The countries leading in adoption today are building significant long-term advantages in productivity, innovation, and competitiveness. For the MEAPT region, the UAE stands out as a global AI frontrunner, pulling regional adoption averages upward and setting a model for digitally-driven economic transformation.

As global AI capabilities evolve, nations that invest early in infrastructure, skills, and responsible deployment will be best positioned to capture the next decade of economic value. For investors tracking frontier technology trends, including those aligned with MEAPT venture capital, the data from the AI readiness index 2025 provides a clear map of where future opportunity will emerge.