DEEPSEEK GAINS GROUND ACROSS DEVELOPING MARKETS AS AI ADOPTION WIDENS, MICROSOFT SAYS

DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence startup often compared with OpenAl, is seeing accelerating adoption across developing economies, particularly in regions where access to Western Al platforms is limited.

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The trend, outlined in a new report from Microsoft, points to a shift in how generative Al tools are spreading globally and which providers are shaping that expansion.

According to the report, global adoption of generative Al tools reached 16.3 percent of the world’s population in the three months ending in December, up from 15.1 percent in the prior quarter. While overall usage continues to rise steadily, researchers highlighted uneven regional dynamics, with locally developed or open models gaining traction where U.S.- and Europe-based services face regulatory, political, or technical barriers.

STRONG POSITION IN CHINA AND BEYOND

DeepSeek is reported to hold an estimated 89 percent share of the generative Al market in China, reflecting its early entry and alignment with local infrastructure and policy requirements. That domestic strength has provided a base for expansion into other markets across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Latin America, where access to services like ChatGPT can be restricted or inconsistent.

Microsoft's researchers noted that DeepSeek’s availability as a free and open-source model has lowered barriers for developers, businesses, and individuals in these regions.