Nearly half of American adults now use AI chatbots, but public confidence in the technology is falling, according to a new Pew Research poll. The survey found 49% of adults use AI chatbots such as ChatGPT — up from 33% in 2024 — while only 16% believe AI will have a positive impact on society.
The findings present a widening gap between adoption and trust. A full 40% of respondents said they expect AI to have a negative impact on society, and 31% said it will affect them personally in a negative way. ChatGPT remains the most popular tool by a considerable margin, with a quarter of respondents saying they use AI chatbots daily.
The divide varies sharply by age. Gen Z adults, ages 18 to 29, were the most wary of AI, with 48% believing it will be negative for society, yet they also reported the highest usage at 66%. Adults 30 to 49 and those 50 and older were more closely aligned in their negative views, at 39% and 37% respectively.
Usage drops with age. Among 30- to 49-year-olds, 61% said they used AI chatbots, compared with 42% of those 50 to 64. Less than a quarter of adults 65 and older reported using the tools.
What is driving the gap between perception and usage is unclear. The source material suggests some users may feel compelled to use AI, even when they recognize its shortcomings, and notes that many are required to use it at work, where bosses are often more enthusiastic than workers.
That disconnect could matter for the industry's long-term staying power. The source material notes that AI is currently propelled by hype and large amounts of investment while profits remain elusive, raising the question of whether enough paying customers will remain if negative sentiment persists. The survey does not explain why adoption is rising alongside distrust, leaving the cause an open question.
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