1 hour ago
24
Almost half of all American adults have now used an AI chatbot. That number was just 33% in 2024, meaning adoption jumped by roughly 16 percentage points in under two years.
The numbers behind the chatbot boom
The survey, conducted between February 17-23, 2026, polled 5,119 US adults. The headline figure: 49% have used an AI chatbot at some point. But the more telling number might be the 25% who report using them daily.
ChatGPT remains the dominant player, and it’s not particularly close. A full 44% of respondents reported using OpenAI’s flagship product. Google’s Gemini came in second at 24%, followed by Microsoft Copilot at 17% and Meta AI at 14%.
The demographic splits are also revealing. Adults under 50 use chatbots at a 63% rate. Among those 65 and older, that drops to just 23%. Asian adults reported the highest utilization of any demographic group at 70%.
The trust problem isn’t going away
Roughly two-thirds of respondents said AI is advancing too quickly. A full 71% of US adults believe AI’s proliferation will make personal data less secure. And 40% of respondents believe AI could negatively impact society overall.
What this means for investors
ChatGPT’s dominance at 44% presents an interesting competitive dynamic. Google’s Gemini at 24% shows that distribution advantages can win meaningful share. Microsoft Copilot’s 17% adoption, despite being integrated into Windows and Office, suggests that bundling alone isn’t a guarantee of market leadership.
When 71% of a population believes a technology threatens their data security, regulation follows. Companies building AI governance tools, privacy-preserving machine learning infrastructure, and compliance solutions are positioned to benefit from what looks like an inevitable regulatory wave.
If only 23% of adults over 65 have tried chatbots, that cohort represents the next frontier for adoption. Similarly, the 37% of under-50 adults who still haven’t used a chatbot represent remaining growth potential.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
English (US) ·