The news: Artificial intelligence adoption is growing across the United States. According to a 2026 Pew Research Center survey of over 5,000 U.S. adults, nearly half (49%) of Americans now use AI chatbots, an increase from 33%in 2024.

Among the competing AI platforms, OpenAI’s ChatGPT remains the market leader, with 44% of US adults reporting they have used the tool. Google's Gemini follows as the second most popular choice at 24%, with Microsoft Copilot (17%) and Meta AI (14%) trailing behind.

Zooming out: The data reveals that the most common reason employed US adults turn to chatbots is to search for information (42%), followed by completing tasks at work (38%).

Only 24% of respondents use AI to create or edit images or videos. The technology has altered daily search habits: 60% of US adults now read the automated AI summaries displayed at the top of search engine results pages.

Why it matters: More than half of US internet users will use GenAI by 2027, per EMARKETER, jumping to almost 60% by 2030. Pew research shows that consumers are finding utility in AI, with 30% stating chatbots improve their productivity and 28% saying the tools keep them informed.

Nearly 40% of US marketers plan to invest more in Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in 2026, including AI powered search and discovery, per Validity. As consumer reliance on zero-click AI overviews increases and potentially overtakes scrolling to click website links, web publishers and businesses can face a long-term drop in organic referral traffic.