Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith Special Edition: Key findings from the Microsoft AI Diffusion Report
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Jan 8, 2026 
In this discussion, Juan Lavista Ferres, the Director and Chief Data Scientist at Microsoft's AI for Good Lab, explores critical insights from the latest AI Diffusion Report. He reveals how generative AI's benefits are unevenly distributed, highlighting a stark gap between the Global North and South. The UAE and Singapore emerge as leaders in adoption, propelled by government support. Juan emphasizes the importance of skilling for AI growth, discusses China's DeepSeek model, and examines future trends and necessary policies for equitable tech diffusion.
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Diffusion Drives Economic Impact
- Diffusion, not just invention, determines a general purpose technology's long-term impact across economies.
- Countries that figure out how to use AI broadly will likely grow faster than those that only produce it.
AI In Rainforests And Eye Care
- Juan described rainforest devices using AI on audio and video to measure biodiversity and support conservationists.
- He also highlighted AI screening tools addressing a leading cause of blindness where ophthalmologists are scarce.
Adoption Is Rapid But Uneven
- Generative AI adoption reached over 1.2 billion users and is the fastest technology in adoption.
- The global north expanded faster than the global south, widening an already large adoption gap.