Vendor dataAll sizesGlobal
950 million
monthly active users of the Gemini app, per Alphabet's Q2 2026 earnings call
SurveyUpdated 23 Oct 2026
42%of US adults use AI chatbots to search for information, the most common use Pew measured (Feb 2026)
About four in ten. In Pew's February 2026 survey of 5,119 US adults, 42% said they use AI chatbots to search for information, more than any other use. About half (49%) use chatbots at all, and 44% use ChatGPT.
SurveyChecked at source, 23 Oct 2026All sizesUSAAI search and zero-click · AI assistants
What US adults use AI chatbots for
| Group | US adults |
|---|---|
| Search for information | 42% |
| Tasks at work (employed) | 38% |
| Fun or entertainment | 25% |
| Create or edit images or videos | 24% |
| Medical advice | 20% |
| Diet and fitness information | 20% |
| Get news | 13% |
| Emotional support or advice | 10% |
| Companionship | 4% |
US adults who use each AI chatbot
| Group | US adults |
|---|---|
| ChatGPT | 44% |
| Gemini | 24% |
| Copilot | 17% |
| Meta AI | 14% |
| Grok | 8% |
| Claude | 6% |
| Character.ai | 3% |
In plain words
What this number really says
AI chatbots have become a second search engine for many Americans. In early 2026, four in ten US adults said they use one to look things up.
42%
of US adults use chatbots to search for information
49%
of US adults use any AI chatbot, up from 33% in 2024
24%
use a chatbot every day
Why you can trust it. Survey by Pew Research Center of 5,119 US adults, 17-23 February 2026, on its probability-based American Trends Panel.
Key terms
- AI chatbot A tool such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot that answers questions in plain language.
- AI search Getting answers from an AI tool or an AI feature in a search engine instead of a list of links.
Source: Pew Research Center, Feb 2026
Before and now
How we got here
2024
33%of US adults had used an AI chatbot (asked of those who had heard of chatbots).
Feb 2026
49%use AI chatbots; 42% use them to search for information.
Compare
How 42% compares
This number
42%
USA Feb 2026
LatestSearch for information
42%
Most common use
top useTasks at work
38%
Among employed adults
-4 ptsGet news
13%
All US adults
-29 ptsWho it is for
Who should use this number, and how
Small businesses
Customers may ask a chatbot before they search Google.
Check what ChatGPT and Gemini say about your business.
Marketers
Chatbots are a new place where buyers research.
Track AI referrals in analytics.
Who it affects
Who feels this number
The same 42% means something different for each group.
Adults under 50
57%use ChatGPTAdults under 50 are about twice as likely as those 50 and older (28%) to use ChatGPT.
Adults 50 and older
28%use ChatGPTPew, Feb 2026.
Gains and risks
What firms gain, and what can go wrong
Numbers from studies and surveys, each with its source.
Gains
- 44%
of US adults use ChatGPT, up from 34% a year earlier (question wording changed in 2026).Pew Research Center, Feb 2026
Where it shows
Where this number has an impact
Be findable in AI answers
If four in ten adults look things up in chatbots, the facts on your site (prices, hours, services) need to be clear and current so AI tools repeat them correctly.
Watch more than Google
Pew finds Gemini (24%) and Copilot (17%) also have large user bases. Do not optimise for one tool only.
The future
What this number says about what comes next
Forecasts below are made by others and linked to where they were published. Our own reading of the data is marked as ours.
Our reading, not a forecast
What the data suggests
- Search is splitting. Google is still the default, but a large minority now also asks chatbots. Expect both to matter for being found.
What to watch next
- Pew's next AI survey
- OpenAI and Google user counts
The data
All the numbers in one table
As published by Pew Research Center, Feb 2026. Standard errors are shown where the source gives them.
| Use of AI chatbots | Share of US adults |
|---|---|
| To search for information | 42% |
| For tasks at work (employed adults) | 38% |
| For fun or entertainment | 25% |
| To create or edit images or videos | 24% |
| To get medical advice | 20% |
| To get diet and fitness information | 20% |
| To get news | 13% |
| For emotional support or advice | 10% |
| For companionship | 4% |
Why 42%, 44% and 49% are all right
49% use any AI chatbot. 44% use ChatGPT. 42% use chatbots to search for information. They answer different questions in the same survey.
Pew changed the ChatGPT question in 2026 (it now also asks about other chatbots), so 34% in 2025 to 44% in 2026 is not a perfect like-for-like rise.
Method and use
How it was measured, and how to use it
How it was measured
- Publisher
- Pew Research Center
- Source type
- Survey: Sampled survey with a published method
- What it measures
- 42% of US adults use AI chatbots to search for information, the most common use Pew measured (Feb 2026)
- Data period
- Feb 2026 (ends 23 Feb 2026)
- Published by the source
- 17 Jun 2026
- Who is counted
- 5,119 US adults, American Trends Panel, 17-23 Feb 2026
- In the source's words
Chart 'Search and work are the most common uses for chatbots': To search for information | 42%. Text: About four-in-ten U.S. adults say they use chatbots for information searching.
- Checked at source
- 23 Oct 2026: Read on pewresearch.org report of 17 Jun 2026 (chart data table and text).
- Reuse
- Free to quote with credit. American Trends Panel, a probability panel of US adults.
- Next expected update
- Irregular (Pew Research Center, irregular)
- Original page
- www.pewresearch.org: Pew Research Center
- Data files
- CSV · JSON (stable links)
Full change log
No changes recorded yet. First checked at the source on 23 Oct 2026.
Cite this number
APA
Pew Research Center. (2026). 42% of US adults use AI chatbots to search for information, the most common use Pew measured (Feb 2026). Via digitaltreed, https://digitaltreed.com/statistics/ai-search/us-adults-use-chatbots-to-search
MLA
"42% of US adults use AI chatbots to search for information, the most common use Pew measured (Feb 2026)." Pew Research Center, Feb 2026. digitaltreed, https://digitaltreed.com/statistics/ai-search/us-adults-use-chatbots-to-search.
HTML link
<a href="https://digitaltreed.com/statistics/ai-search/us-adults-use-chatbots-to-search">42% of US adults use AI chatbots to search for information, the most common use Pew measured (Feb 2026)</a> (Pew Research Center, Feb 2026)
Embed the chart
Keep the source link under the chart. The chart updates when the number does.
FAQ
Questions about this number
How many Americans use AI chatbots to search?
42% of US adults use AI chatbots to search for information, per Pew's February 2026 survey.
How many Americans use ChatGPT?
44% of US adults say they use ChatGPT (Pew, Feb 2026), up from 34% in 2025, though the 2026 question wording changed.
How many people use AI chatbots every day?
24% of US adults use a chatbot daily, including 4% who use them almost constantly (Pew, Feb 2026).
Which chatbot is most used in the US?
ChatGPT (44% of adults), then Gemini (24%), Copilot (17%), Meta AI (14%), Grok (8%) and Claude (6%).
Are chatbots replacing Google?
Not replacing, adding. Google's AI Overviews alone report over 2.5 billion monthly users, while 42% of US adults also search with chatbots.
Put this number to work
We help small and mid-size firms turn data like this into useful content, answers for customers and visibility in AI search.
Every number on this page was checked at its original source. Free to cite with a link to this page.