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Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact

How opinions and use of AI differ by age

By , , , , and
Table of Contents
  1. Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact
  2. What do Americans think AI is?
  3. Why don’t people use chatbots?
  4. How opinions and use of AI differ by age
  5. The gender gap in AI
  6. Racial and ethnic differences in how adults use and view AI
  7. Appendix: Detailed chart and tables
  8. Acknowledgments
  9. Methodology
About this research

This study is Pew Research Center’s latest effort to explore how Americans use and view artificial intelligence (AI). The study also dives into who uses chatbots and has smart home devices with AI features. It also explores what impact people think AI will have on society and on them, personally.

Why did we do this?

The Center conducts research to inform the public, journalists and decision-makers. Tracking the rise of AI in society has been a key priority for us over the years. It’s important to understand how people use AI in their lives and how they feel these tools will impact themselves and society.

Learn more about Pew Research Center.

How did we do this?

We surveyed 5,119 U.S. adults from Feb. 17 to 23, 2026. Everyone who took part in this survey is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP). The survey represents the views of the full U.S. adult population.

Here are the questions used for this report, the topline and the survey methodology.

For decades, age has been a key factor in Americans’ technology use, and artificial intelligence (AI) is no exception. In February, Pew Research Center surveyed over 5,000 U.S. adults to understand how that story is playing out today.

Young adults are more skeptical about AI’s future impact; older adults, more unsure
% of U.S. adults who say they think the impact of AI on __ over the next 20 years will be positive or negative
Note: “Very/Somewhat negative” and “Very/Somewhat positive” responses are combined. The shares who said “Equally positive and negative,” ranging from 23% to 32%, are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.
“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Young adults are more skeptical about AI’s future impact; older adults, more unsure
% of U.S. adults who say they think the impact of AI on __ over the next 20 years will be positive or negative
QuestionNegativePositiveNot sure
U.S. adultsSociety40%16%13%
Ages 18-29Society48%14%8%
30-49Society39%17%12%
50-64Society38%18%12%
65+Society35%15%21%
U.S. adultsThem, personally31%23%19%
Ages 18-29Them, personally37%20%12%
30-49Them, personally30%26%17%
50-64Them, personally28%24%19%
65+Them, personally28%17%29%
Download data as .csv
Note: “Very/Somewhat negative” and “Very/Somewhat positive” responses are combined. The shares who said “Equally positive and negative,” ranging from 23% to 32%, are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.
“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Among the takeaways:

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

Roughly half of adults under 30 say AI will negatively impact society. Far fewer say the impact will be positive (14%).

Smaller shares of adults age 30 and older – roughly-four-in-ten or fewer – say AI’s impact will be negative. Still, views tilt more negative than positive across all age groups.

Young adults are also most likely to think AI will be negative for them. About four-in-ten say so, versus about three-in-ten in other age groups.

Older adults are more uncertain. Americans ages 65 and older are most likely to say they’re unsure about both AI’s personal and societal impact.

And some Americans think the good and bad will even out. The shares who say this range from about a quarter to about three-in-ten across age groups.  

At the same time, majorities of younger and older adults alike say AI is advancing too quickly. Across age groups, this share ranges from 61% to 65%.

This is part of a larger survey on Americans’ views of and experiences with AI. Read the main story to learn more.

Adults under 50 are most likely to use chatbots, but use is rising across age groups
% of U.S. adults who say they ever use AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot
Chart
* In 2024, the question was “Have you ever used an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot?” and was asked of those who had heard at least a little about chatbots.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.
“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Adults under 50 are most likely to use chatbots, but use is rising across age groups
% of U.S. adults who say they ever use AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot
U.S. adultsAges 18-2930-4950-6465+
2024*3355412512
20264966614223
Download data as .csv
* In 2024, the question was “Have you ever used an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot?” and was asked of those who had heard at least a little about chatbots.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.
“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Chatbot use

Even as AI chatbots have become fixtures in some Americans’ lives, people’s experiences vary by age.

Americans under 50 are far more likely than those 50 and older to use chatbots. About six-in-ten adults under 50 (63%) now use these tools, compared with about four-in-ten of those ages 50 to 64 and even fewer of those 65 and older.

Chatbot use has risen over time among adults of all ages. In fact, the steep increase for those in their 30s and 40s now puts them on par with younger adults.5

Daily chatbot use is also more common among adults under age 50. A third of adults under 50 say they use these tools daily. Fewer older adults say the same.

1 in 3 adults under 50 say they use AI chatbots daily
% of U.S. adults who say they use AI chatbots …
Chart
Note: “Several times a day or more” includes “almost constantly” and “several times a day.” Figures may not add up to NET values due to rounding. Those who gave other responses are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.
“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
1 in 3 adults under 50 say they use AI chatbots daily
% of U.S. adults who say they use AI chatbots …
Several times a day or moreAbout once a dayNET Daily
U.S. adults16%8%24%
Ages 18-2921%11%31%
30-4923%10%34%
50-6413%6%19%
65+4%3%7%
Download data as .csv
Note: “Several times a day or more” includes “almost constantly” and “several times a day.” Figures may not add up to NET values due to rounding. Those who gave other responses are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.
“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Which chatbots Americans are using

ChatGPT tops the list across age groups. Adults under 30 are most likely to use it, and those in their 30s and 40s aren’t far behind.

ChatGPT tops the list of chatbots Americans use, across age groups
% of U.S. adults who say they ever use the following AI chatbots
U.S. adultsAges
18-29		30-4950-6465+
ChatGPT4461553719
Gemini2430342011
Copilot1717221910
Meta AI1414171310
Grok891073
Claude610941
Character.ai37311
Note: Not all percentage differences shown are statistically significant.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.
“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
ChatGPT tops the list of chatbots Americans use, across age groups
% of U.S. adults who say they ever use the following AI chatbots
U.S. adultsAges 18-2930-4950-6465+
ChatGPT44%61%55%37%19%
Gemini24%30%34%20%11%
Copilot17%17%22%19%10%
Meta AI14%14%17%13%10%
Grok8%9%10%7%3%
Claude6%10%9%4%1%
Character.ai3%7%3%1%1%
Download data as .csv
Note: Not all percentage differences shown are statistically significant.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.
“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Smaller shares of older adults use the chatbot. Still, ChatGPT use has risen in all age groups since 2023. That includes an uptick in the past year for all but the youngest adults, whose use remains relatively high. (Go to the appendix for a full breakdown.)6

Gemini, Copilot and Meta AI are next on the list. For adults under 50, Gemini ranks second, followed by Copilot and Meta AI. Among older adults, roughly equal shares use Gemini and Copilot.

About one-in-five or fewer in each age group use Meta AI. One-in-ten or fewer use Grok, Claude or Character.ai.

How people use chatbots

1 in 5 adults under 30 say they get emotional support from chatbots, higher than for older adults
% of U.S. adults who say they ever use AI chatbots …
Chart
Note: Employed refers to those working full or part time for pay at the time of the survey.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.
“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
1 in 5 adults under 30 say they get emotional support from chatbots, higher than for older adults
% of U.S. adults who say they ever use AI chatbots …
Ages 18-2930-4950-6465+
To search for information54%53%37%20%
For tasks at work (among employed adults)41%43%29%18%
To create or edit images or videos34%34%18%5%
For fun or entertainment33%36%20%7%
To get diet and fitness information30%25%14%7%
To get medical advice27%25%17%11%
For emotional support or advice20%13%4%2%
To get news15%17%13%8%
For companionship7%6%2%1%
Download data as .csv
Note: Employed refers to those working full or part time for pay at the time of the survey.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.
“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

People under 50 are more likely than older adults to say they use chatbots in each of the ways we asked about.

About half of adults ages 18 to 49 use chatbots to search for information. Smaller shares of adults 50 to 64 (37%) or 65 and older (20%) say they ever do this.

Roughly four-in-ten employed adults under age 50 use chatbots for work. Fewer older workers report doing the same.

Younger adults are also more likely to use these tools for fun or for medical advice.

And as experts debate AI’s impact on well-being, one-in-five adults under 30 say they ever turn to chatbots for emotional support or advice.

This drops to about one-in-ten of those ages 30 to 49 and an even smaller share of those 50 and up.

Awareness and confidence

Fewer older Americans report hearing a lot about chatbots
% of U.S. adults who say they have heard __ about AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot
Chart
Note: Figures may not add up to NET values due to rounding. Those who said “Nothing at all” or did not answer are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.
“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Fewer older Americans report hearing a lot about chatbots
% of U.S. adults who say they have heard __ about AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot
A lotA littleNET
U.S. adults44%43%87%
Ages 18-2966%29%95%
30-4952%41%93%
50-6435%53%89%
65+20%50%70%
Download data as .csv
Note: Figures may not add up to NET values due to rounding. Those who said “Nothing at all” or did not answer are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.
“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Most Americans have heard at least a little about AI chatbots. But just one-in-five Americans 65 and older say they’ve heard a lot about these tools.

That said, the shares of adults who’ve heard at least a little about chatbots have risen in all age groups since 2024.

And while more than nine-in-ten across age groups have heard about AI overall, the shares who’ve heard a lot vary by age as well.

Young adults are more confident in using chatbots
% of U.S. adults who say they are __ confident in their ability to use AI chatbots
Chart
Note: Those who did not answer are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.
“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Young adults are more confident in using chatbots
% of U.S. adults who say they are __ confident in their ability to use AI chatbots
Extremely/VerySomewhatNot too/Not at allDo not use
U.S. adults18%22%8%51%
Ages 18-2931%27%7%34%
30-4923%28%9%39%
50-6412%21%9%58%
65+6%11%6%77%
Download data as .csv
Note: Those who did not answer are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.
“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

What’s more, far fewer older adults are confident in using chatbots. Still, no age group is overwhelmingly confident in using these tools.

About three-in-ten adults under 30 say they’re extremely or very confident using chatbots. This drops to 6% of adults 65 and older.

Chatbots’ impact on people’s lives

Americans overall are more likely to think using AI chatbots helps rather than hurts their creativity. But young adults’ views are about evenly split.

Unlike older Americans, adults under 30 are just as likely to think chatbots hurt their creativity as help it
% of U.S. adults who say they think using AI chatbots __ their creativity
Chart
Note: “Helps a lot/little” and “Hurts a lot/little” responses are combined. This set of questions also asked about AI chatbots’ impact on their productivity, how informed they are, how happy they are and their relationships with other people. Those who did not answer are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.
“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Unlike older Americans, adults under 30 are just as likely to think chatbots hurt their creativity as help it
% of U.S. adults who say they think using AI chatbots __ their creativity
HelpsHurtsNeither helps nor hurtsDoes not use
U.S. adults21%11%17%51%
Ages 18-2925%20%20%34%
30-4927%14%20%39%
50-6420%7%15%58%
65+10%2%11%77%
Download data as .csv
Note: “Helps a lot/little” and “Hurts a lot/little” responses are combined. This set of questions also asked about AI chatbots’ impact on their productivity, how informed they are, how happy they are and their relationships with other people. Those who did not answer are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.
“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

A quarter of adults under 30 say chatbots help their creativity, while a similar share say these tools hurt it (20%).

For older age groups, views tilt positive over negative. Still, for some – like those 65 and older – fairly small shares think chatbots help creativity.

For other impacts – like on productivity or personal relationships – patterns don’t differ much by age.

AI search summaries and AI-enabled smart devices

Many popular search engines now present short, AI-powered snippets to users.

While majorities of Americans ages 18 to 64 say they ever read these, that share drops substantially for those 65 and older.

A majority of Americans overall say they read AI search summaries, but adults 65 and up are least likely
% of U.S. adults who say __ ever read AI summaries at the top of a search engine result
Chart
Note: Those who did not answer are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.
“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
A majority of Americans overall say they read AI search summaries, but adults 65 and up are least likely
% of U.S. adults who say __ ever read AI summaries at the top of a search engine result
They doThey don’tNot sure
U.S. adults60%30%10%
Ages 18-2972%20%7%
30-4968%24%9%
50-6459%31%10%
65+38%47%14%
Download data as .csv
Note: Those who did not answer are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.
“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Just under half of adults under 50 have a smartwatch, while smaller shares of older adults say so
% of U.S. adults who say they have a smartwatch such as an Apple Watch or Google Pixel Watch
Chart
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.
“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Just under half of adults under 50 have a smartwatch, while smaller shares of older adults say so
% of U.S. adults who say they have a smartwatch such as an Apple Watch or Google Pixel Watch
Percent
U.S. adults37%
Ages 18-2944%
30-4944%
50-6435%
65+24%
Download data as .csv
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.
“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Smartwatches and smart home devices

Like other types of AI use, having a smartwatch varies by age: Adults under 50 are more likely to have a smartwatch than older adults.

And with AI also built into a range of everyday devices, we also asked about several smart home devices that use AI.

Those in their 30s and 40s stand out – they’re more likely than other groups to have smart speakers, doorbells and thermostats that have AI features.7

People in their 30s and 40s are most likely to have smart speakers, doorbells and thermostats at home
% of U.S. adults who say they have the following devices that use AI
Note: Respondents were first asked if they have thermostats, doorbells and vacuums. And then were asked if any of these devices have AI features. Go to the topline for full question wording.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.
“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
People in their 30s and 40s are most likely to have smart speakers, doorbells and thermostats at home
% of U.S. adults who say they have the following devices that use AI
U.S. adultsAges 18-2930-4950-6465+
Smart speaker35%33%41%36%24%
Smart doorbell18%18%23%18%14%
Robot vacuum13%9%15%14%12%
Smart thermostat11%7%15%12%8%
Download data as .csv
Note: Respondents were first asked if they have thermostats, doorbells and vacuums. And then were asked if any of these devices have AI features. Go to the topline for full question wording.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.
“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Next: The gender gap in AI
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  1. Prior to 2026, the question was “Have you ever used an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot?” and was asked of those who had heard at least a little about chatbots.↩
  2. Prior to 2026, the question was “Have you ever used ChatGPT?” and was asked of those who had heard at least a little about ChatGPT. In 2026, the question also asked about other chatbots.↩
  3. Respondents were first asked if they have thermostats, doorbells and vacuums, and then were asked if any of these devices have AI features. Go to the topline for full question wording.↩
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Table of Contents

  1. Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact
  2. What do Americans think AI is?
  3. Why don’t people use chatbots?
  4. How opinions and use of AI differ by age
  5. The gender gap in AI
  6. Racial and ethnic differences in how adults use and view AI
  7. Appendix: Detailed chart and tables
  8. Acknowledgments
  9. Methodology