According to Microsoft’s Global AI Diffusion report for the second quarter of 2026, Hungary is 20th worldwide in the prevalence of generative artificial intelligence (AI) use. In the quarter under review, 33.3% of the population aged 15–64 used a generative AI–based solution.
Regional and global comparisons
Hungary leads the Visegrád Group countries: Poland recorded 32.3% usage, the Czech Republic 31.2%, and Slovakia 27.1%. The report notes that Taiwan ranked ahead of Hungary, while the United States, after a 1.7 percentage-point increase, remains only 0.3 percentage points below Hungary’s figure.
Globally, 18.8% of working-age people (15–64) had used generative AI in June 2026, an increase of about one percentage point compared with the first quarter. The top-of-the-list countries are the United Arab Emirates at 73.3% and Singapore at 64.3%. Ireland moved up to third place, France is fourth, and Norway slipped from third to fifth.
The report finds AI usage increased in nearly every country, but the north–south gap widened slightly from 12.1 to 12.6 percentage points (28.8% vs. 16.2%).
Diffusion is not the same as economic effect
Microsoft stresses that diffusion figures alone do not reveal how AI affects a country’s economic growth or productivity, or how deeply it has been embedded into daily business practices. The company highlights that high diffusion does not necessarily equal high-quality, economy-shifting use — a topic also scheduled for discussion at the HVG AI Talks conference in November 2026.
The same caveat applies to education. Although AI is becoming an everyday tool for more students and educators, broad access by itself does not guarantee positive outcomes. Attention is shifting from mere access to effective, pedagogically sound use and to the role AI plays in learning. Microsoft argues that with responsible use, risks are manageable: AI can support teachers and critical thinking while helping students develop AI literacies needed in a changing economy.
Workplace attitudes and leadership implications
Microsoft’s Work Trend Index survey supports this picture: two-thirds (65%) of respondents fear falling behind if they do not adapt quickly to AI, yet 45% feel safer focusing on their current objectives rather than redesigning their jobs around AI. Only 13% believe their workplace would recognize efforts to rethink work with AI if the results fell short of expectations.
The authors of the report therefore advise leaders to develop new metrics, incentives and expectations to support AI integration and learning.
Methodology
The Global AI Diffusion report covers 147 economies and estimates the share of generative AI users among the 15–64 age group. Estimates are based on aggregated and anonymized Microsoft telemetry data, adjusted for operating system and device market shares, internet access and population size.
