Overview
- A Pew Research Center survey of 5,119 U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17–23, 2026 found 49% have used an AI chatbot and about 25% use them daily, with 12% using them several times a day and 4% saying they use them almost constantly.
- ChatGPT is the clear market leader with 44% reported use, followed by Google’s Gemini at 24%, Microsoft Copilot at 17%, and Meta AI at 14%, while Anthropic’s Claude registers at roughly 6%.
- Public skepticism is high: 40% of respondents expect AI will harm society over the next 20 years while only 16% see a positive effect, and 63% say AI is advancing too fast.
- Data security is the top worry with 71% saying AI will make their personal information less secure and large majorities reporting little or no confidence in government or companies to manage AI responsibly.
- The gap between fast adoption and falling trust is shifting the policy and market conversation toward privacy protections, governance tools, and regulation as companies face growing demand for clearer safeguards.