Pew: About Half of U.S. Adults Now Use AI Chatbots
On June 17, 2026, Pew Research Center released “Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact,” based on a February 2026 survey of U.S. adults. About 49% now report using AI chatbots (up from 33% in 2024), including roughly one-in-four daily users, while ChatGPT remains dominant at 44% of adults. The study also tracks AI search summaries, smart-device adoption, and persistently cautious views of AI’s long-term societal impact.
TLDR
Pew Research Center’s Americans and AI 2026 report, published June 17, 2026, 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.
Why this story matters
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.
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).
Featured Image Alt Text
Pew Research style bar chart showing U.S. adult AI chatbot adoption rising from 2024 to 2026 with ChatGPT leading brands.
Tags
Pew Research, Chatbots, Adoption, Public Opinion, ChatGPT, Survey