Cisco reports divides in AI uptake and digital well-being

Cisco and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development published analysis via the Digital Well-being Hub that documented geographic and generational divides in Generative AI (GenAI) adoption and in measures of digital well-being, findings that bear on efforts to expand digital skills and access.

The research provided Cisco's Digital Impact Office with insights intended to support its aim to connect millions of people to the digital economy, help close the digital divide, and build a global learning culture through Cisco Networking Academy and Country Digital Acceleration programs.

The study used data from 14 countries and 14,611 respondents collected in early 2025 by a specialized research agency under OECD best practices; most country samples were about 1,000 respondents and India included 1,500. It showed under-35s had the highest use of social media, devices, and GenAI, and respondents in India, Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa reported the highest Artificial Intelligence (AI) use, trust, and engagement. It also showed more than five hours of daily recreational screen time was associated with decreased well-being.

In 2024 Cisco and the OECD launched the Digital Well-being Hub, which the release said was grounded in the OECD Well-being Framework and aligned to Cisco's Country Digital Acceleration program; the hub featured an interactive platform used to gather new statistics and people’s insights and to examine the complex nature of digital transformation.

“Generational divides in digital and AI adoption are not inevitable, they are challenges we can all address through targeted action.” “So far at Cisco, 26,000 of our staff have undergone AI training and we are a founding member of the AI Workforce Consortium, a group of 10 leading companies working to prepare the workforce to leverage the transformational opportunity of AI on ICT jobs across all industries,” said Diedrich.

The research called for citizens, business and government leaders worldwide to bridge the digital skills gap, foster digital literacy at every age, and prioritize well-being alongside technology.