A new report released by tech giant Microsoft shows that most Central Asian countries rank among the lowest globally when it comes to citizens incorporating generative artificial intelligence into everyday life.

The findings add to the growing challenges facing governments across the region, many of which have announced ambitions to build “cognitive” and technology-driven economies, The Caspian Post reports, citing Eurasianet.

Among the Central Asian nations included in Microsoft’s Global AI Diffusion report, Kazakhstan achieved the highest position, ranking 70th out of 147 countries assessed worldwide. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has previously declared 2026 as the “year of AI” in Kazakhstan as part of the country’s broader digital development agenda.

Other states in the region placed considerably lower in the rankings. Kyrgyzstan came in 116th place, while Uzbekistan ranked 142nd. Afghanistan was listed 144th, Tajikistan 145th and Turkmenistan 146th, placing them near the bottom of the global table.

Similar to Kazakhstan, the governments of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have all announced plans aimed at developing domestic IT and artificial intelligence sectors, including the creation of regional technology and AI hubs.

Despite the generally low standings, the report highlighted a more positive trend for parts of Central Asia. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan were identified as having some of the fastest AI adoption growth rates in Asia, suggesting increasing interest and usage despite current limitations.

Elsewhere in the Caucasus region, Azerbaijan and Georgia outperformed Kazakhstan in the rankings, taking 62nd and 54th places respectively. Armenia, which has also presented plans to expand its IT and AI capabilities, ranked 139th globally.

On a broader scale, Microsoft’s report found that AI adoption in economically advanced countries of the “Global North” is expanding at nearly twice the pace seen in developing economies across the “Global South.”

According to the report, the gap is being driven by long-standing structural challenges in less developed regions.

“This divide reflects the systemic challenges facing the Global South, where limited access to electricity, internet connectivity, and digital skills continue to constrain adoption,” the report stated. “Until these foundational gaps are addressed, the benefits of generative AI will remain unevenly distributed.”