AI is changing how Americans search for information. A new Pew Research Center report found that 60% read AI-generated summaries at the top of search results, and about 40% use chatbots to find information.
AI-generated answers now appear across both traditional search results and dedicated chatbot platforms, including tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot, Pew found.
AI summaries reach most searchers. Six in 10 U.S. adults said they have read AI summaries at the top of search engine results, Pew found. Three in 10 said they have not.
- Another 10% said they were not sure whether they had read one. The unsure response suggests some users do not clearly recognize AI summaries in search results.
- Men were slightly more likely than women to report reading AI summaries, 63% versus 57%. Adults 65 and older were the least likely age group to say they read them.
Chatbots are search tools. About half of U.S. adults now use AI chatbots, up from about one-third in 2024. Roughly one in four adults said they use chatbots daily.
- Searching for information was the most common chatbot use Pew measured. About 40% of U.S. adults said they use chatbots for search, ahead of entertainment, image and video creation, medical advice, fitness information, news, emotional support and companionship.
- Work was close behind. Among employed adults, 38% said they use chatbots for job-related tasks.
ChatGPT dominates. ChatGPT remained the most widely used chatbot by a wide margin. Pew found that 44% of U.S. adults now use ChatGPT, up from 34% last year and more than double the share Pew measured in 2023.
- Gemini ranked second, with about a quarter of adults saying they use it. Copilot and Meta AI followed.
- Grok, Claude and Character.ai had much smaller reach. About one in 10 adults or fewer said they had used each of those tools.
Why we care. People are now finding information through traditional results, AI summaries and chatbot answers. A ranking in traditional search may not reflect every place people now find answers.
Dig deeper. AI search adoption rises as consumer trust declines: Study
About the data. Pew Research Center surveyed 5,119 U.S. adults from Feb. 17-23, 2026, through its nationally representative American Trends Panel. The full-sample margin of error was plus or minus 1.6 percentage points.
The report. Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact
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