- More than half of American adults have used AI, according to a new study from Elon University. Women lead in AI usage at 53%, with 77% of younger adults (aged 18 to 29) and 66% of Hispanic Americans engaging with AI.
- The study finds 65% of users have had spoken conversations with AI, often several times a week, highlighting more personal interactions.
- Despite AI’s growing popularity, 63% of Americans believe AI will lead to social isolation, and 59% fear it will result in significant job losses.
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More than half of American adults have used AI, according to a new study from Elon University. The research finds that 52% of adults in the U.S. have engaged with large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, and Gemini.
Women lead in AI usage, with 53% reporting they’ve used these tools. Among racial groups, 66% of Hispanic Americans have interacted with AI, followed by 57% of Black Americans and 47% of white Americans.
The study highlights that AI use is most common among younger adults. Seventy-seven percent of people aged 18 to 29 have used AI chatbots, making them the dominant age group.
Household income also plays a role in adoption. People with incomes over $100,000 and those working full-time jobs are more likely to use AI regularly.
AI conversations are becoming more human-like
While widespread AI use isn’t surprising, the study finds that people interact with AI in more personal ways.
Sixty-five percent of users have engaged in spoken conversations with AI, and nearly half do so several times a week. This trend aligns with the rise of AI companion apps designed to offer emotional support.
AI companion apps are gaining popularity
Though not specifically mentioned in the study, AI companion apps have seen growing interest.
One of the most well-known is Replika, an AI chatbot that mimics romantic and companion relationships. It provides emotional support through text conversations and even offers video calls for paid users.
Another app, Kindroid, takes AI interactions further by allowing users to engage in group chats with multiple AI companions. It also features realistic voice interactions to make conversations feel more natural.
AI raises concerns about human connection and jobs
Despite AI’s rising popularity, many Americans worry about its impact.
The study finds that 63% of people believe AI will lead to social isolation by replacing human-to-human communication. Another 59% think LLMs will contribute to job losses in the future.
