Kenya has the world’s highest reported monthly use of artificial intelligence among online adults, but the country’s heavy use of AI tools has yet to translate into a clearly tangible economy-wide economic gain, underscoring the gap between adoption and productivity in emerging markets.
Some 97.5% of Kenyan internet users aged 16 and above surveyed by GWI said they had used at least one AI tool in the previous month, according to the Digital 2026 Mid-Year Global Update Report from DataReportal, We Are Social and Manochi. Kenya ranked first among 54 markets surveyed, ahead of the United Arab Emirates at 94.2% and Indonesia at 93.6%.
The United States recorded monthly AI use of 71.5% among online adults and Britain 62.8%, while Japan was the only market surveyed where fewer than half of online adults reported using AI. China recorded 86.4%, according to the report.
But the 97.5% figure measures whether respondents used any AI tool at least once during the previous month, rather than how intensively they use AI, how much they spend on it or how much it contributes to economic output.
The measure includes AI functionality embedded in products such as Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Canva and Adobe Creative Cloud, as well as standalone generative AI services such as ChatGPT and Claude.
As a result, the figure should not be interpreted to mean that 97.5% of Kenyans regularly use generative AI or that almost all Kenyan adults use AI.
The survey covers online adults aged 16 and above rather than Kenya’s entire population. GWI’s research covered more than 240,000 people across 54 economies, with the markets representing more than 80% of the world’s internet population.
USE DOES NOT EQUAL PRODUCTIVITY
The distinction is important for Kenya, where AI use is growing faster than evidence of its economic contribution.
The International Monetary Fund said in July that artificial intelligence could increase economic output in sub-Saharan Africa by as much as 4% over the next decade if countries improve electricity supply, internet connectivity and digital skills.
Without those improvements, the IMF estimated AI’s contribution to regional growth could be as low as 0.2%. Sub-Saharan Africa currently ranks lowest on the IMF’s AI Preparedness Index because of shortcomings in infrastructure, technical capacity and regulation.
Kenya is among the continent’s more digitally developed economies, but the IMF’s assessment illustrates the broader challenge facing African countries: widespread access to AI tools does not automatically translate into productivity or economic gains.
The region also continues to face major infrastructure constraints. About half of sub-Saharan Africa lacks reliable electricity, while internet use stood at 38% of the population in 2024 compared with 68% globally, according to the IMF.
That limits the extent to which AI adoption can translate into higher industrial productivity, new businesses and large-scale automation.
KENYANS USE AI FOR INFORMATION
Globally, the most common reason people reported using AI was to find information.
Some 58.8% of active AI users cited information seeking, followed by getting advice on problems at 37.8% and learning or improving skills at 37.0%, according to the DataReportal report.
Those uses may improve individual productivity without necessarily appearing immediately in national economic statistics.
A person using an AI chatbot to draft an email, summarize a document, research a topic or prepare a job application is counted as an AI user, but that activity does not necessarily generate a measurable increase in Kenya’s gross domestic product.
The report also shows how quickly generative AI has spread globally.
There were an estimated 2.42 billion active users of standalone generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Doubao in April 2026, up 141% from a year earlier. The increase represented more than 1.4 billion additional users in 12 months.
The 2.42 billion figure is smaller than the broader 4.02 billion estimate for monthly AI users because the latter includes AI functionality embedded in other software.
The 4.02 billion figure represents 48.6% of the world’s total population, although the underlying measure applies to people aged 16 and above.
A QUESTION OF DEPTH
Kenya’s ranking therefore says more about the breadth of AI exposure than about the country’s position in the global AI economy.
There is no evidence in the DataReportal survey that Kenya’s 97.5% usage rate corresponds to a similar level of AI investment, AI-generated revenue, productivity growth or domestic development of AI systems.
That distinction is particularly important because AI’s economic impact depends on more than access to software. It also depends on computing infrastructure, electricity, connectivity, data, technical skills, capital, business adoption and the ability of firms to reorganise around the technology.
Kenya is investing in some of those areas.
Microsoft and G42 have announced plans for a $1 billion geothermal-powered data centre in Kenya, while Cassava Technologies and Nvidia are investing $700 million in graphics processing units across five African countries, according to the IMF.
Africa nevertheless has only about 160 data centres, concentrated mainly in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya, the IMF said.
POLICY CATCHES UP
Kenya is also developing a regulatory framework as AI use expands.
The government recently closed public consultation on its Draft Kenya Artificial Intelligence and Other Emerging Technologies Policy, with submissions due by Aug. 4. The ministry says the policy is intended to establish a national framework for the responsible governance, development, deployment and use of AI and other emerging technologies.
The draft seeks to promote innovation and digital infrastructure while safeguarding economic resilience and strategic autonomy. Kenya’s National AI Strategy for 2025-2030 provides the broader policy framework, while an implementation roadmap calls for a comprehensive AI policy and risk and safety governance framework.
The policy process follows growing concern among policymakers about the need to capture the economic benefits of AI while managing risks.
Kenya’s Senate has also called for measures including research into locally relevant AI applications, ethical guidelines, regulatory sandboxes, stronger public-private partnerships and the integration of AI and coding into education.
Faustine Ngila is the AI Editor at Impact Newswire, based in Nairobi, Kenya. He is an award-winning journalist specializing in artificial intelligence, blockchain, and emerging technologies.
He previously worked as a global technology reporter at Quartz in New York and Digital Frontier in London, where he covered innovation, startups, and the global digital economy.
With years of experience reporting on cutting-edge technologies, Faustine focuses on AI developments, industry trends, and the impact of technology on society.
Lupita Nyong’o (Kenya)
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