Unexpected Trend: How Less-Educated Regions Are Rapidly Embracing AI Writing Tools

Trends in AI Writing for Businesses and Diplomacy

Researchers found that many sectors, including consumer complaints, corporate messages, and job advertisements, saw a similar rise in AI usage. This spike began about three to four months after ChatGPT launched in November 2022, with growth stabilizing by late 2023.

The age of a company strongly influenced how much they used AI in job postings. Newer companies, founded after 2015, adopted AI tools at rates up to three times higher than those established before 1980. In some job listings, 10–15 percent of the text was AI-modified compared to under 5 percent for older companies. Smaller businesses often embraced AI more quickly than their larger counterparts.

When looking at corporate press releases by industry, science and tech firms were the leading users, utilizing AI in about 16.8 percent of their communications by late 2023. Businesses in finance and news sectors followed closely with a 14–15.6 percent adoption rate, while topics related to people and culture fell within the range of 13.6–14.3 percent.

On a global scale, UN teams in Latin America and the Caribbean had the highest adoption rate among international organizations, nearing 20 percent. In comparison, countries in Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Eastern Europe showed moderate uptake, ranging from 11 to 14 percent by 2024.

Challenges and Considerations

The researchers highlighted some limitations in their study. They focused mainly on English-language material and faced difficulties in detecting whether texts were edited by humans or generated by AI. Their findings may thus underestimate actual AI usage.

They observed that the slowing growth of AI writing in 2024 could signal market saturation or advances in AI technology that make detection harder. This raises questions about how we tell human writing apart from AI-created content, which is becoming increasingly challenging.

As the reliance on AI-generated content grows, the researchers warn of potential communication issues. In sensitive topics, overusing AI might lead to messages that don’t fully address concerns, affecting credibility. There is also a risk of public distrust in the authenticity of messages from companies.