The news: AI is nearly unavoidable online—yet it’s also barely noticed. In March, 93% of 2.5 million page visits by 900 US adults touched a page mentioning AI, but most encounters were casual, not intentional, per Pew Research Center.
By the numbers:
- 58% of respondents encountered AI-generated summaries in search results.
- 52% visited news sites mentioning AI, but only 8% saw in-depth AI stories.
- 13% visited AI tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Midjourney.
- Only 1 in 10 users conducted AI-related searches.
- 54% saw AI-powered features on major shopping sites (e.g., Amazon’s AI review summaries).
Why it’s worth watching: While 65% of users saw AI-related terms in search results, only 0.05% of total page visits involved substantive AI engagement. Most people encounter AI incidentally—not intentionally.
- The most common terms seen were “AI,” “ChatGPT,” “AI-powered,” and “AI-assisted.” These were marketing buzzwords rather than technical definitions.
- Few pages offered true insights. Even sites that discussed AI often did so through product features or sidebar mentions.
Key takeaway: Americans aren’t avoiding AI—they’re encountering it peripherally. But deeper engagement or education on the topic is rare.
Most casual browsing touches AI lightly: a tool name here, a product pitch there. Search and other online environments now default to mentioning AI without explaining it, which is a disservice to end users.
Marketers and advertisers must recognize that AI is in the background—not the foreground. To build trust and shape consumer perception, brands should create clearer, deeper content that demystifies AI and cites tangible use cases—like embedding AI chatbots into ads to simplify booking trips or making restaurant reservations. This helps users try out the technology while showcasing AI’s utility.