Key findings:

  • 53% of Americans say they’ve used AI; nearly one in three (31%) say they haven’t used generative AI tools at all.
  • Trust rises with use: 82% of avid AI users trust it at least somewhat, compared with 69% of all AI users.
  • Accuracy (59%) and privacy (49%) top the list of concerns for all users — with the former higher among avid users (63%).

Artificial intelligence is steadily integrating into how Americans work, learn, and communicate, becoming a routine tool rather than a novelty. A July YouGov survey reveals that while AI has moved beyond the realm of tech enthusiasts, people remain split over how much they actually trust it. The findings show how and why Americans are turning to AI for everyday tasks.

Over half of those polled (53%) have used AI. Nearly a third (31%) say they haven’t ever used generative AI tools.

How Americans use AI: Practical help first, creativity later

AI’s main appeal is its ability to deliver quick information. Nearly six in ten of American AI users (58%) say they turn to tools for fact-finding or quick answers to queries. Among those who have already used AI tools, over six in ten (62%) of those aged 65+ use AI for this purpose, highest among all ages.

Writing support follows, with over four in ten (43%) using AI to help craft or edit text such as emails, messages. The younger generations lead here, 50% of 18-29-year-olds and 50% of 30-44-year-old AI users are leveraging AI for writing assistance.

Younger users have been fast to experiment with generative AI for writing, followed by image and video creation. Among AI users, those aged 18–29 lead in using AI for creative inspiration (33%), whether for journaling, storytelling, or finding gift ideas. They’re followed by 30–44-year-olds at 26%, a group that also stands out for using AI to generate images or videos (32%). Meanwhile, more routine or personal applications like learning new skills (22%), organizing daily life (15%), or meal planning (15%) remain relatively niche. Only about one-in-ten users experiment with emotional support or travel planning so far. Millennials have been faster to adopt AI for planning their travels.

How often Americans are using AI

Most Americans who use AI do so occasionally rather than habitually. Over a third (36%) say they turn to tools like ChatGPT or Gemini less than once a week, while about a quarter (27%) use them once or twice weekly.

Three-in-ten (30%) engage with AI at least three times a week and they can be considered “avid users”.

Trust grows with use

Familiarity appears to build confidence when it comes to AI. Across all users, two-thirds (69%) say they trust AI to some degree, though most do so cautiously, with only 5% saying they completely trust it.

Among avid users, trust climbs sharply. More than eight-in-ten (82%) say they trust AI at least somewhat, including one-in-ten who say they completely trust it. Most (59%) fall into the “somewhat trust” category, a marked jump from 43% among all AI users.

Earlier this year, OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman expressed surprise about people’s blind trust in ChatGPT, noting “it should be a tech that you don’t trust that much”. Notwithstanding, the survey data suggests that the more people use AI, the more they come to trust it.

Even frequent users have concerns

Trust in AI doesn’t erase concern, it just changes its shape. The biggest worry across all users is accuracy: nearly six-in-ten (59%) say they’re concerned about whether AI-generated information is reliable. That figure rises slightly to 63% among avid users. Privacy and data security concerns follow close behind, cited by half of all users (49%), and 49% of avid users too.

Both avid and all AI users share their concern of becoming over-reliant on AI (39% each). When it comes to ethical implications, including bias, misinformation, and plagiarism, all users are a little more concerned than avid users (45% vs. 43%). Further, avid users are more likely to flag the cost of AI tools (21% vs. 17%) as a concern.

Considering cost (and concerns around it), it's interesting to see which versions of AI people are using and/or subscribed to. The vast majority of American AI users access them through free or basic versions, 81% overall. Among avid users, that figure stands at 86%.

Paid access remains limited: only 8% of all AI users say they have an individual premium subscription, though that share doubles to 16% among avid users. Another small minority (12%) use AI through their employer, and 3% access AI through school or university.

These figures suggest that AI adoption in the U.S. is still driven by freely available tools, with only a small core of frequent users willing to pay for more advanced or unrestricted access.

With the vast majority of users relying on free versions, the economics of AI use come into focus. If paid subscriptions remain limited, ad revenue is a primary way platforms can keep free access viable. OpenAI is reportedly eyeing “free-user monetization” through advertising, potentially as soon as 2026, to help subsidize free access. Further, recent moves in the AI world underscore that shopping (and by extension, commerce) isn’t just a theory for AI platforms anymore. OpenAI’s partnership with Walmart will allow users to purchase products directly within ChatGPT, using an “instant checkout” feature. With in-AI shopping already emerging, the question isn’t if ads will arrive but how users will respond to them.

When asked how they’d feel about seeing ads in AI tools if it meant continued free access, two in five AI users (39%) say they’d be open to it depending on how intrusive the ads are. Another 27% say they would accept ads outright to keep using AI for free.

Still, not everyone’s on board: one in five (20%) say they would rather pay for an ad-free experience, while 13% are unsure. Overall, the results suggest that Americans’ willingness to see ads in AI hinges on the quality and subtlety of the experience, they’ll tolerate ads, but not distraction.

With shopping and monetization entering the world of AI, another shift is taking shape — how people search for information. As AI tools become more capable of answering questions directly, they’re beginning to nibble at the edges of traditional search behavior.

Search engines remain the dominant way Americans look for information on products and services, with 82% saying they use tools like Google or Bing. Online marketplaces (43%) and recommendations from friends and family (42%) also remain popular sources.

However, 15% of all respondents now say they use AI platforms such as ChatGPT or Gemini to look for information. Among avid users — those who use AI three or more times a week — that share jumps to 45%, suggesting that habitual use is beginning to shift how people search online.

While traditional search continues to lead by a wide margin, these early signs indicate that AI is beginning to establish itself as a new, complementary search option.

As AI becomes more capable and familiar, Americans are learning its usefulness with caution. While right now, it is being used largely to save time and simplify tasks, but as AI starts handling shopping, ads and even search, its place in the daily lives of Americans is set to deepen even further.

Methodology:
YouGov polled 1,500 US adults online on July 14, 2025. The survey was carried out through YouGov Surveys: Self-serve. Data is weighted by age, gender, race, political affiliation, education level and region.

Photo by Igor Omilaev on Unsplash