Pew 2026: Half of U.S. Adults Use Chatbots—Mainstream Behavior, Still ChatGPT-First

This is the cleanest population-level checkpoint that generative AI has crossed into mainstream U.S. consumer behavior—half of adults, a quarter daily—while brand hierarchy remains ChatGPT-first. For product, policy, and media teams, Pew’s numbers ground hype and IPO narratives in how ordinary Americans actually use (and doubt) AI.

Pew Research Center’s Americans and AI 2026 report finds about half of U.S. adults (49%) now use AI chatbots—up from 33% in 2024—with roughly one-in-four using them daily. ChatGPT leads brand usage (44% of adults), followed by Gemini (24%), Copilot (17%), Meta AI (14%), Grok (8%), and Claude (6%). Adoption is rising even as many Americans remain skeptical that AI will be a net positive for society.

Key findings

From Pew’s primary report (survey of U.S. adults, American Trends Panel, Feb 17–23, 2026; n≈5,119; ±1.6 pp):

• Chatbot use: 49% ever use AI chatbots (ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, etc.), vs 33% in 2024 (and ~23% in 2023 trends).
• Daily use: Roughly one-in-four adults use chatbots daily (including “several times a day” / “almost constantly” splits in detailed tables).
• Brand share among adults: ChatGPT 44% (more than double 2023 levels in TechCrunch summary); Gemini 24%; Copilot 17%; Meta AI 14%; Grok 8%; Claude 6%; Character.ai 3%.
• Search: Large shares encounter AI-generated summaries in search results (coverage cites ~60% reading AI search summaries).
• Attitudes: More adults still lean negative than positive on AI’s long-term personal/societal impact; awareness of chatbots continues to climb (“a lot” heard about chatbots rose vs 2024).

Fieldwork predates June product shocks (Fable suspension, etc.); figures describe early-2026 behavior released mid-year.

Limits

• February fieldwork—does not capture mid-June Fable freeze or late-June model launches.
• Brand shares are “ever use among adults,” not weekly active or enterprise seat counts.
• Societal-impact attitudes remain more negative than positive despite rising use.

Sources

• Pew Research Center: “Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact” (pewresearch.org, June 17, 2026). Primary report and charts.
• Pew full PDF report (PI_2026.06.17_Americans-and-AI_REPORT.pdf).
• TechCrunch summary of brand shares and societal-impact findings (June 17, 2026).