What happened
The OECD's biennial flagship Outlook finds that AI adoption is accelerating across OECD economies but that benefits remain unevenly shared. In the 2026 edition, 20% of enterprises with 10 or more employees used AI, versus 52% of large firms; AI, cloud and big-data analytics remain concentrated in large firms and knowledge-intensive sectors such as software and IT services. On the individual side, only 14% of people aged 55–74 used AI tools, compared with 68% of 16–24-year-olds. The report also highlights USD 291.2 billion in venture capital invested in IT infrastructure and hosting between 2012 and 2025, and assesses how governments can widen access to digital technologies so more businesses and people benefit from AI.
Why it matters
Provides the authoritative cross-country baseline on AI adoption and the digital divide that underpins public policy and enterprise market assumptions — the official OECD statistics are a reference point for regulation, investment and skills strategy.
Action needed
Benchmark your market and skills assumptions against the Outlook's adoption and demographic data, and use it to inform positions on digital-infrastructure and AI-skills investment.