A fresh global study on AI has just dropped, and guess what? When it comes to embracing Artificial Intelligence, it looks like Africa isn’t just at the table – we’re helping build it.
The “Trust, attitudes and use of artificial intelligence: A global study 2025” by KPMG and the University of Melbourne has painted a fascinating picture. While the world grapples with the rise of the machines, emerging economies, particularly our very own powerhouses – Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa – are leaping ahead with AI adoption. We’re talking about some of the highest rates globally.
The study, which surveyed more than 48,000 people across 47 countries, found that Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa are not just in the AI game—they’re dominating it. Nigeria and Egypt in particular scored some of the highest levels of AI adoption, literacy, and trust globally. People in these African countries are using AI more frequently, trusting it more, and understanding it better than people in most Western nations.
In places like Germany and Japan, fewer than 65% of people say they use AI tools regularly. Meanwhile, countries like Nigeria and Egypt are reporting a whopping 92% regular or semi-regular AI usage among their populations. South Africa isn’t far behind, clocking in at an impressive 83%. This isn’t just about casually asking a chatbot for a recipe; we’re seeing deep integration, AI training, self-reported knowledge, and higher confidence in using AI tools in these countries compared to many so-called “advanced” economies.
The report highlights that folks in these emerging economies generally show greater trust, acceptance, and have a more optimistic outlook on AI. There’s a real hunger for this tech, with Nigeria, for instance, seeing a staggering 97% of its people keen to learn more about AI.
Emerging Economies > Advanced Economies?
Turns out, being “emerging” doesn’t mean being behind. As per the study, emerging economies are leading the charge on AI. The study showed that:
- 80% of people in emerging economies like Nigeria, Egypt, and Brazil use AI regularly.
- This drops to just 58% in advanced economies like the U.S., UK, and France.
- People in Africa are more eager to learn about AI, more likely to trust tech companies, and more positive about AI’s societal impact.
But Where Does Kenya Rank?
Now, for some reason Kenya was not included in the study despite being East Africa’s tech powerhouse with an exploding fintech scene, AI startups doing cool things, and a buzzing digital economy, Kenya somehow didn’t make it into the research. But let’s cut the researchers some slack.
In 2022, the study only covered 22 countries. That number more than doubled to 47 in the latest study, and the inclusion of three African nations this time (up from just one in 2022—South Africa) shows they’re listening. So, there’s hope Kenya could be next. And trust us, we deserve a seat at that table.
Below is how each of the 47 countries ranked when it comes to regular AI usage.
With increasing smartphone penetration, youth-led innovation, and a growing appetite for generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Kenya already reflects the trends seen in Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa. We may not have made the official cut, but our story is already being told—just not in the footnotes yet.
You can check out the full report here.
Discover more from Techish Kenya
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
