---
title: "1. AI awareness around the world"
description: "A median of 34% of adults in 25 countries have heard a lot about AI, with frequent internet users and younger people among the likeliest to say so."
date: "2025-10-15"
authors:
  - name: "Jacob Poushter"
    job_title: "Associate Director, Global Attitudes Research"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/jacob-poushter/"
  - name: "Moira Fagan"
    job_title: "Research Associate"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/moira-fagan/"
  - name: "Manolo Corichi"
    job_title: "Research Analyst"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/manolo-corichi/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2025/10/15/ai-awareness-around-the-world/"
categories:
  - "Artificial Intelligence"
  - "Global Tech & Cybersecurity"
  - "Technology Adoption"
  - "Technology Policy Issues"
datasets:
  - name: "Spring 2025 Survey Data"
    url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/dataset/spring-2025-survey-data/"
---

# 1. AI awareness around the world

#### Key findings

[![A bar chart showing How much people have heard or read about AI](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/10/pg_2025.10.15_ai_1_01.png?w=420)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=276950)

- A median of 34% of adults across 25 countries say they have heard or read a lot about artificial intelligence; 47% have heard a little about it and 14% have heard nothing at all.

- In all surveyed countries except India and Kenya, at least half of the public has heard at least a little about AI.

- Internet use is related to awareness of AI: People who say they are online almost constantly are more likely than others to have heard a lot about it.

- Young adults, men and people with more education are more likely than other groups to have heard a lot about AI.

The share of adults who have heard or read a lot about AI varies widely by country. Consider Europe: In France, 52% report a high level of awareness, compared with 30% in Spain.

Across all the countries included in the survey, as many as 53% in Japan to as few as 12% in Kenya have heard a lot about AI. Overall, though, most people in these countries have heard at least a little about the technology.

#### By country’s GDP per capita

People in wealthier countries tend to be more likely than those in less wealthy countries to have heard or read a lot about AI. At one end of this spectrum is the U.S., where GDP per capita is about $86,000 and 47% of adults have heard a lot about AI. By comparison, in Kenya, GDP per capita is about $2,200 and 12% of adults say they have heard a lot about AI.

[![A line chart showing In wealthier countries, more people have heard a lot about AI](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/10/pg_2025.10.15_ai_1_02.png?w=640)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=276952)

#### By age

[![A dot plot showing that Young adults are more likely than older adults to have heard a lot about AI ](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/10/pg_2025.10.15_ai_1_03.png?w=420)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=276951)

In most surveyed countries, adults under 35 are more likely than those ages 50 and older to have heard or read a lot about AI. For example, 77% of young Japanese adults have heard a lot about it, compared with 39% of their older counterparts. There are double-digit age differences across almost all of these countries.

#### By internet use

In every surveyed country, people who [use the internet almost constantly](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/09/08/most-adults-across-24-countries-are-online-at-least-several-times-a-day/) are more likely those who use the internet less frequently to have heard a lot about AI.

For example, Polish adults who are online almost constantly are more than twice as likely as those who are online less often to have heard a lot about AI (68% vs. 26%).

#### By gender

In about half of the countries surveyed, men are more likely than women to have heard a lot about AI. One particularly large gender divide is in Hungary, where 49% of men and 27% of women report this level of awareness.

#### By education

Across most of the countries surveyed, people with more education are more likely than those with less education to say they have heard a lot about AI. (In some of these countries, people with less education were less likely to provide a response.)

---

**Next:** [2. Concern and excitement about AI](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2025/10/15/concern-and-excitement-about-ai.md)