Americans Use AI More But Trust It Less, Research Finds

Source Domain: www.forbes.com

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – FEBRUARY 28, 2026: Demonstrators take part in a protest march from offices of Open AI to Meta HQ and Google DeepMind HQ against the rapid expansion of AI data centres in the UK and the environmental and social impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) such as safety, job security, calling for a pause on development until legislation is in place providing safety measures and democratic controls, in London, United Kingdom on February 28, 2026. (Photo credit should read Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images

Artificial intelligence has become mainstream all over the world, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone is thrilled about it, or even trusts it. According to a sweeping new Pew Research Center survey of 5,119 U.S. adults conducted between February 17 and 23, AI adoption is climbing fast, but, at the same time, so is public skepticism.

About half of U.S. adults (49%) now use AI chatbots, up sharply from just a third in 2024. One-quarter of Americans say they use these tools daily, including 12% who use them several times a day and 4% who say they are “almost constantly” engaged.

At the same time, Americans —including younger adults— are deeply skeptical of AI.

“More adults predict that AI will have a negative rather than positive impact on them and on society,” Pew states in its research. “Majorities think AI is advancing too quickly and will put their personal information at risk.”

ChatGPT is the most commonly used, with 44% of U.S. adults using it — more than double the share from 2023. Google’s Gemini comes in second, followed by Microsoft Copilot at 17%, Meta AI at 14% and Grok at 8%. Notably, Anthropic’s Claude, which has dominated industry chatter, barely registers with the general public at just 6% according to Pew’s study.