Everyone seems to have an opinion about AI (artificial intelligence). But what are ordinary adults actually doing with it? Writing their novels? Replacing their doctors? Chatting to it instead of friends?
The real picture, from large surveys published in 2026, is calmer and more useful than the headlines. Most people use AI chatbots for ordinary jobs, such as looking things up. Use is growing fast in every age group. And older adults use AI less, trust it less and feel less confident with it, for understandable reasons.
This guide pulls together the most recent reliable surveys from the US, UK and Australia. For each number, we name who ran the survey, when and where, because different surveys measure different things. Then we look at what it means for you, with three good ways to start.
How do adults use AI?
Most adults who use AI use chatbots such as ChatGPT to look things up, to help with work, for entertainment and for health or fitness information, and younger adults use them far more than older adults.
According to Pew Research Center’s survey of 5,119 US adults in February 2026, 49% of Americans now use AI chatbots, up from 33% in 2024. About a quarter (24%) use them every day.
Plain talk: AI chatbot
An AI chatbot is an app or website you talk to in everyday words, such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot or Claude. You type or say a question, and it writes an answer in full sentences.
How many adults use AI chatbots, by age?
Use drops with age, but it’s rising fastest among older adults. In Pew’s surveys, the share of Americans 65 and older who use AI chatbots nearly doubled in two years, from 12% in 2024 to 23% in 2026.
| Age (US, Pew, Feb 2026) | Use AI chatbots | Use them daily |
|---|---|---|
| 18 to 29 | 66% | 31% |
| 30 to 49 | 61% | 34% |
| 50 to 64 | 42% | 19% |
| 65 and older | 23% | 7% |
| All adults | 49% | 24% |
ChatGPT is the most used chatbot. Pew found 44% of all US adults use it, including 61% of adults under 30 and 19% of those 65 and older.
What other countries show
Surveys in other countries ask slightly different questions, so the numbers below aren’t directly comparable. The pattern is the same, though: most adults use AI, and older adults use it less.
| Survey | What it measured | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Ofcom, UK (fieldwork Sept to Nov 2025) | Adults 16+ who use AI tools such as ChatGPT | 54% (79% of 16 to 24s) |
| Roy Morgan, Australia (Jan to Mar 2026) | People 14+ who used AI tools in an average four weeks | 58% (50% of 50 to 64s, 31% of 65+) |
| AARP, US (Sept to Oct 2025) | Adults 50+ who use AI | 30% (up from 18% in 2024) |
What do adults use AI for?
The most common use by far is looking things up. Pew asked all US adults what they use AI chatbots for. The table below shows the share of all adults, and the share of adults 65 and older, who said yes to each use. (Because it counts non-users too, the numbers are lower than the share of users.)
| Use (US, Pew, Feb 2026) | All adults | Ages 65+ |
|---|---|---|
| Searching for information | 42% | 20% |
| Entertainment | 25% | 7% |
| Making images or videos | 24% | 5% |
| Medical advice | 20% | 11% |
| Diet or fitness information | 20% | 7% |
| News | 13% | 8% |
| Emotional support or advice | 10% | 2% |
Among Americans with jobs, 38% use chatbots for work tasks. Just 4% of all adults said they use chatbots for companionship.
The UK picture is similar. Ofcom asked AI users (not all adults) why they use it. The top reasons were supporting work or study (47%), finding factual information (45%) and curiosity (43%). Some 12% of UK AI users said they had used it for conversation or companionship.
In short, most people use AI as a faster, chattier search engine and a helper for everyday tasks. Stories about people treating AI as a best friend describe a small minority.
How older adults’ use of AI differs
The surveys point to four clear differences.
1. Older adults have heard less about it. Pew found just 20% of Americans 65 and older have heard “a lot” about AI chatbots, compared with 66% of adults under 30.
2. They feel much less confident. Only 6% of adults 65 and older told Pew they feel extremely or very confident using chatbots, compared with 31% of adults under 30. That’s a skills gap, not an ability gap. Confidence comes from practice, and classes help. See where seniors can learn about AI.
3. They use it for practical, lower-risk jobs. Among the uses Pew measured, older adults are most likely to use chatbots for looking things up and for medical questions, and least likely to use them for emotional support (2%). AARP’s February 2026 survey found 41% of adults 50 and older who use AI have asked it a health question.
4. They’re more cautious and more unsure. Asked how AI will affect them personally, 29% of Americans 65 and older told Pew they weren’t sure, more than any other age group. In the UK, Ofcom found 68% of adults 55 and older would trust an AI-written news story less than one written by a person.
Trust, worries and what people want
Worry about AI isn’t limited to older people. Pew asked Americans who don’t use chatbots why not. The top “major reasons” were:
- not interested (60%)
- concerned about how their personal information is used (54%)
- don’t trust the accuracy (45%)
- don’t know how to use them (29%)
Many people also want more say. In a Pew survey published in September 2025, 61% of Americans said they’d like more control over how AI is used in their lives, and 57% said they have not much or no control now.
Among older adults, AARP’s 2026 tech trends research found that trust, privacy and data security are the top concerns for about half of those who hold back from new technology, especially AI tools. Older adults told AARP they prefer AI that’s built into products they already use, that’s free or covered by insurance, and that doesn’t replace human contact. On health, 69% of adults 50 and older told AARP they aren’t comfortable sharing their personal health information or medical documents with an AI tool.
These worries are reasonable. AI chatbots can be wrong, and what you type may be stored. Our guide to the disadvantages of AI for the elderly explains each risk and how to avoid it.
What this means for you
If you’re over 60 and haven’t used AI yet, you’re in the majority of your age group, and you’re not behind. If you’d like to try, the surveys suggest a sensible path:
- Start with what most people do: ask it questions. It’s the most common use at every age.
- Keep the same caution the surveys show. Check important answers, especially on health, money and legal matters, with a professional.
- Protect your privacy. Never type passwords, bank or card numbers, or ID numbers such as Social Security, Medicare, National Insurance or Tax File numbers.
- Expect confidence to come with practice, not all at once.
For the essentials in one place, read what seniors should know about AI. To choose a free assistant and set it up safely, see Is ChatGPT safe and free?
3 good ways to start
These three tasks match what adults most often use AI for. Open any free AI assistant and type the words, or tap the microphone and say them.
1. Look something up, in plain English.
Type or say this
“Explain in plain English, in five short sentences, how a heat pump works. Then tell me which parts I should double-check with an installer.”
2. Get ready for a doctor’s appointment. Use AI to prepare questions, not to diagnose. Leave out your name and other personal details. Our guide to using AI for medical questions safely has more tips.
Type or say this
“I have a check-up next week and I’ve been sleeping badly. Suggest six questions I could ask my doctor. Don’t diagnose me.”
3. Plan something enjoyable.
Type or say this
“Plan a relaxed day out for two people in their 70s who enjoy gardens and good coffee. We live near Portland, Oregon. Keep walking to under a mile at a time.”
Safety tip
AI can sound sure of itself and still be wrong. Treat its answers as a helpful first draft, and check anything important with a trusted source or a professional.
For 25 more everyday ideas with prompts, see what seniors can use AI for.
Where to go from here
The surveys tell a clear story: AI use is growing among older adults, mostly for practical, everyday help, and caution is healthy. You can join in at your own pace, on your own terms.
If you’d like a step-by-step, large-print guide, our book AI for Seniors, Plainly Explained is coming soon. It covers setting up an AI assistant safely and the TALK method for asking good questions. Meanwhile, the Scam-Stopper Kit (free when you join our email letter) includes 25 easy prompts to print and try, and our FAQ answers common questions.
