Sri Lanka’s AI adoption trails globe and region despite hub ambitions - Microsoft report

Sri Lanka’s adoption of artificial intelligence lags significantly on the global stage, placing it among the nations with the lowest AI usage rates, a major news report has revealed.

- By NISHEL FERNANDO

The country’s AI diffusion rate stands at a mere 6.2 percent, a figure that not only trails far behind global leaders but also falls below the average for the Global South and many of its South Asian neighbours.

This stark reality, detailed in the November 2025 ‘AI Diffusion Report’ from the Microsoft AI Economy Institute, presents a significant challenge to the nation’s declared ambition of becoming a regional AI hub. The report highlights a critical gap between the current state of AI integration and the strategic goals necessary to harness the technology’s economic potential.

The Microsoft report provides a comprehensive overview of global AI adoption, which it terms “diffusion”- the process by which technology becomes integrated into society. It notes that while AI is the fastest-spreading technology in history, with over 1.2 billion users in under three years, its benefits are not being shared equally.