About half or more of US adults now use AI, but only about 15% of workers use it daily

AI chatbots have become ordinary in the United States, but using one now and then is not the same as relying on one. Three large surveys, run by different organisations with different questions, point the same way.

The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis found in September 2026 that the share of adults aged 18–64 using generative AI had risen from 45% in August 2024 to 62% in May 2026. Among workers, use for the job rose from 33% to 45%. Pew Research Center, asking 5,119 adults about chatbots specifically, found 49% use them and 24% use them daily. ChatGPT use reached 44%, up from 18% in 2023, and was far higher among under-50s (57%) than among over-50s (28%).

Gallup asked 22,573 employed adults in May 2026 about their own jobs. Just over half, 52%, use AI in their role, 30% a few times a week or more, and 15% every day. Just under half said their employer had built AI into how it works.

Pew also asked how people feel about it. Nearly two-thirds, 63%, say AI is advancing too quickly. Asked about the next 20 years, 40% expect a negative effect on society and 16% a positive one.

What it means

Using AI is now as common as any widely adopted technology, but for most people it is occasional rather than central, and the gap between trying a chatbot and depending on one at work is still wide. Workers under 50 are much more likely to be in the habit. Adoption is also not the same as enthusiasm: at the same time as use has spread, 63% of Americans say AI is advancing too quickly.

Caveats

• The three surveys are not measuring the same thing, so their numbers should not be read as disagreeing. They ask about “generative AI”, about “chatbots” and about “AI in your role”.
• Pew changed the wording of its ChatGPT question in 2026, so the jump from 18% in 2023 to 44% is not a strict like-for-like comparison.
• The St. Louis Fed survey covers ages 18–64 only, so it leaves out people over 64.