What Are Users Doing With AI?

Searching for information and work-related tasks are the most common uses, Pew finds. 42% of adults in the U.S. use chatbots for information searching, and among employed adults, 38% use them for work tasks.

An interesting finding: one in ten Americans reported using chatbots for emotional support. Younger adults are driving this trend — one in five adults under 30 report using chatbots for emotional support, bringing up a gallery of important questions about how this technology is reshaping human connection. 7% of that age group said they use it for “companionship”.

Another fascinating paradox: the people using AI most are also the ones who seem most worried about it.

Adults under 30 are the heaviest chatbot users (66%), but they’re also the most likely to report the belief that AI will have a negative impact on society over the next 20 years (48%). Compare that to 30% of adults 50+ years of age who feel the same way.

Overall, 40% of Americans predict AI’s impact on society will be negative — nearly triple the 16% who see a positive outcome. About 31% expect equal upsides and downsides.

Too Fast & Too Scary

Based on Pew’s survey, Americans overwhelmingly appear to believe AI is moving too quickly. 63% say AI is advancing “too fast”, while only 2% say it’s progressing too slowly.

The biggest fear is data security. 71% of Americans say AI will make their personal information less secure, while just 3% think it will improve data safety.

“Majorities aren’t confident that the government is addressing AI effectively or that companies are developing it responsibly,” Pew states. “And for the government, these concerns are ticking up.”

67% surveyed said they have little or no confidence in the U.S. government to regulate AI effectively — up from 62% in 2024, and 59% said they were not confident in U.S. companies to develop and use AI responsibly.

Notably, Democrats have grown significantly more skeptical of government regulation over the past two years (74% now lack confidence, up from 54%), while Republicans have actually become less concerned (61%, down from 70%).

Still, Pew found that 37% of U.S. adults have a smartwatch, 35% have a smart speaker (such as Amazon Echo or Apple HomePod), 18% have a smart doorbell with AI, 13% have a robot vacuum with AI and 11% have a smart thermostat with AI. 60% of Americans say they’ve read AI-generated summaries in search results, suggesting many may interact with AI without even realizing it.

The Racial and Gender Divide

Per the research, 70% of Asian adults use chatbots (the highest among any group), and they’re the only demographic where views tilt more positive than negative. Men and women now use chatbots at roughly equal rates (50% vs 47%), but men are more likely to use them daily (27% vs 20%). Women are more pessimistic about AI, according to Pew’s study — 33% of women expect negative personal impact from AI versus 27% of men.

“People are generally in agreement that AI is advancing too quickly,” Pew states. “Majorities of each group say this, including about six-in-ten or more White, Hispanic and Asian adults, and more than half of Black adults. Much smaller shares in each group say AI is advancing at the right pace, and few say it is advancing too slowly.”

Failing the Trust Test

51% of Americans say they don’t use chatbots, and the reasons they share are noteworthy. Among non-users, 60% cite lack of interest as a major reason, 54% are worried about data privacy, 45% don’t trust accuracy and 29% don’t know how to use them. Only 3% fear social judgment.

Most non-users seem to have no plans to start — 67% say they’re unlikely to use a chatbot in the next 12 months.

Ultimately, it appears that Americans are adopting AI at record rates — especially young people. People are bringing AI into their homes, workplaces, organizational day-to-day and even emotional lives, but the technology is failing the trust test.

“While most adults under 30 use chatbots, they’re the most skeptical about AI’s future impact,” Pew states.