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Pew Survey Shows 49 Percent of U.S. Adults Use AI Chatbots
A new Pew Research Center poll of 5,119 adults finds chatbot adoption rising sharply since 2024 while skepticism about AI's pace and risks also grows. ChatGPT leads usage at 44 percent. Concerns center on data security and government oversight.
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Pew Research Center surveyed 5,119 U.S. adults between February 17 and February 23 and found that 49 percent now use AI chatbots, up from one-third in 2024. Forbes reported the results. One-quarter of adults use the tools daily, including 12 percent several times a day and 4 percent almost constantly.
ChatGPT is the most common, used by 44 percent of adults, more than double the share from 2023. Google’s Gemini ranks second, followed by Microsoft Copilot at 17 percent, Meta AI at 14 percent and Grok at 8 percent. Anthropic’s Claude reaches 6 percent.
Forty-two percent of adults use chatbots to search for information. Among employed adults, 38 percent use them for work tasks. Ten percent of adults overall use them for emotional support, rising to 20 percent among those under 30.
Seven percent of adults under 30 use chatbots for companionship. Adults under 30 show the highest usage at 66 percent yet also the strongest negative outlook, with 48 percent expecting AI to harm society over the next 20 years. That figure is 30 percent among adults 50 and older.
Overall, 40 percent of adults predict a negative societal impact from AI, 16 percent predict a positive impact and 31 percent expect equal effects. Sixty-three percent of adults say AI is advancing too fast, while 2 percent say it is advancing too slowly. Seventy-one percent believe AI will make personal information less secure.
Sixty-seven percent have little or no confidence in the U.S. government to regulate AI effectively, up from 62 percent in 2024. Fifty-nine percent lack confidence in U.S. companies to develop and use AI responsibly.
Among non-users, who make up 51 percent of adults, 60 percent cite lack of interest, 54 percent cite data privacy worries and 45 percent cite distrust of accuracy. Sixty-seven percent of non-users say they are unlikely to try a chatbot in the next 12 months. Asian adults report the highest usage at 70 percent and are the only group whose views tilt more positive than negative.
