the new picture of adoption according to the OECD.

A artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a promeIt went from being distant to becoming part of the daily lives of millions of people. Recent data from the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), extracted from ICT Usage and Access Database, show that More than a third of individuals in OECD countries will have used generative AI tools by 2025.The number is impressive for its growth rate — but it also exposes deep inequalities in how this technology is being adopted by people and companies.

The popularization of generative AI

The advance of Generative AI The progress made in just a few years is remarkable. By 2025, tools capable of writing texts, summarizing information, generating images, and assisting with complex cognitive tasks were already present in the daily lives of a significant portion of the population. This confirms the perception that AI has left the experimental field and become integrated into everyday practices, from studying to working, from leisure to solving practical problems.

However, adoption does not occur uniformly. The OECD highlights that The biggest divide in AI use is age-related.with a difference of 53,6 percentage points across age groups. Young people and students are far ahead of the rest of the population, which signals a possible generational reshaping of digital skills.

An “AI-native” generation

Among students with 16 years and overThe data is even more striking: around 75% claim to use generative AI tools.This suggests that, for this generation, AI is already seen less as an innovation and more as a natural extension of learning and productivity tools.

This behavior has profound implications. On the one hand, it can accelerate educational processes, broaden access to knowledge, and stimulate new forms of learning. On the other hand, it raises debates about technological dependence, the development of critical thinking, and inequality between students who have—or do not have—qualified access to these tools.

In the long term, this age difference tends to be reflected in the job market, creating a competitive advantage for those who enter the professional world already accustomed to “working together” with AI systems.

Companies are advancing, but at an uneven pace.

In the corporate sector, AI adoption is also expanding, albeit more cautiously. By 2025, 20,2% of companies in OECD countries reported using AI., a significant increase compared to the 14,2% recorded in 2024This represents an annual growth of 42,4% in corporate useWhile still robust, it is already showing signs of slowing down compared to the early years of the technology boom.

A central point of the report is that this progress remains focused on ICT (information and communication technology) companies and knowledge-intensive sectors, such as finance, consulting, science and engineeringariaMore traditional industries, small businesses, and sectors with lower digital maturity continue to fall behind.

The risk of a two-speed economy

OECD data paints a picture of asymmetric adoptionYoung people versus older adults, knowledge-intensive companies versus traditional sectors, large organizations versus small businesses. This dynamic creates the risk of a two-speed economy, in which gains in productivity, income, and innovation are concentrated in specific groups.

Without public policies, training programs, and strategies for technological dissemination, AI may become obsolete. widening existing inequalities, instead of reducing them. The report suggests, albeit implicitly, that the challenge now is no longer to “introduce” AI, but to democratize its use in a responsible and inclusive way..

What do these numbers really say?

More than just statistics, the OECD data reveals an ongoing structural shift. AI already influences how we learn, work, and make decisions. The central question becomes… Who participates in this transformation and under what conditions?.

For governments, the message is clear: investing in innovation alone is not enough — it is necessary to invest in… AI literacyProfessional retraining and equitable access to technology are crucial. For companies, the warning is strategic: adopting AI early can mean a lasting competitive advantage, but ignoring it can lead to a loss of relevance.

A silent but decisive turning point.

In 2025, generative AI crossed a tipping point. It became commonplace, everyday, and—for many young people—indispensable. Even so, data shows that this revolution is not being experienced equally by everyone. The future of AI, it seems, will depend less on the technology itself and more on the capacity of societies to… to integrate it in a broad, fair and sustainable way.

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