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Exclusive: AI isn't reaching rural America fast enough
Microsoft President Brad Smith: Americans in rural areas could benefit from more access to AI.
TL;DR
- Urban Americans are nearly twice as likely to use AI as rural Americans.
- AI adoption is split along familiar economic and geographic lines, mirroring existing disparities.
- Trust in AI's ability to act in the public interest is lower in rural areas (under 40%) compared to urban areas (over 50%).
- AI usage in large urban areas is nearly a third, compared to 16.2% in rural areas.
- Microsoft President Brad Smith believes closing the rural-urban AI gap is crucial for economic growth and addressing rural problems.
- Improving AI product usability and accessibility is key to increasing rural adoption.
- AI has potential applications in rural healthcare, such as assisting doctors and providing medical information.
- College towns are major hubs for AI usage, with all top 15 counties having a college or university.
- The urban-rural AI adoption gap could determine if AI narrows or widens economic divides.
- Failure to address the AI adoption gap will exacerbate existing opportunity gaps in America.