AI Expands Among Adults, but Trust Continues to Plummet

Artificial Intelligence has profoundly changed the landscape of research, information, and daily activities, becoming established in numerous products and services. New data from the Pew Research Center has highlighted that 49% of American adults now use AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Gemini, a significant increase compared to the 33% recorded last year. However, this growth does not translate into widespread optimism, with a substantial portion of the population harboring strong doubts about the long-term impact of these technologies.

The adoption in the field manifests in various areas: 42% of U.S. adults use AI tools for information research, while 38% utilize them to manage work activities. Among other uses, entertainment, image and video editing, and to a lesser extent, seeking medical advice also emerge. A noteworthy statistic pertains to news consumption: 60% of respondents claim to regularly read internet summaries generated by AI, which have now become a fixed component of search pages.

Concerns in the Field: AI Safety and Regulation
Regarding the chatbot market, OpenAI's ChatGPT maintains undisputed leadership, with 44% of users preferring it. Gemini ranks second at 24%, followed by Copilot (17%) and Meta AI (14%). Among the less widespread brands, we find Grok (8%), Claude (6%), and Character.ai (3%). Regular users of these tools have acknowledged a generally positive impact on their productivity and personal information level.

Despite the acceleration in adoption, the overall sentiment of Americans towards AI remains tinged with skepticism. About 40% of adults believe that artificial intelligence will be more harmful than beneficial to society in the next twenty years, while only 16% foresee an overall positive impact. On a personal level, 31% of respondents expect a negative effect, with another 31% rating the impact as equally positive and negative.

The safety of personal data represents one of the main perceived weaknesses: an impressive 71% of adults are convinced that AI will make information less secure, against a mere 3% who believe the opposite. This distrust also extends to the main players involved in the development and regulation of AI. 67% of Americans have little or no trust in the U.S. government's ability to effectively regulate technology, and nearly six out of ten adults do not trust the companies that are supposed to develop and use these tools responsibly. Almost two-thirds of the population also believes that AI development is proceeding at an excessively rapid pace.

The research also highlighted demographic differences in the approach to AI. Young people, particularly those under 30, are the most critical age group, with only 14% expecting a positive impact on society. Regarding gender, although chatbot usage is increasing for both, men (27%) surpass women (20%) in daily usage and show greater enthusiasm. On the other hand, nearly half of Americans do not use AI daily; these users tend to be older, with almost 75% of those over 65 stating they have never used an AI chatbot, often due to a lack of interest and intention to do so in the future. For more details, the complete source is available here.