- A new survey from Future has found that 40% of people in the UK and 34% of people in the U.S. use generative AI either “daily” or “multiple times a day.”
- Over 40% of those who use generative AI started to use the software in the last six months
- Most people who use AI use it for learning
It used to be that conversing with your computer was a sign you needed a break. Now it just means you’re part of the population using generative AI daily to help with some of life’s more tedious tasks. That’s around a third of the U.S. and UK, according to a new report on AI consumer perception from Future, the company that owns TechRadar.
The survey found that 40% of people in the UK and 34% of people in the U.S. use generative AI either “daily” or “multiple times a day.” That’s no statistical fluke; it’s a shift in standard behavior. Not only does over one-third of the US and UK population use gen AI daily, but over 40% started to use the software in the last six months.
Using generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot isn’t limited by age, either, though there is some skewing toward youth, with people between 18 and 40 accounting for 70% of the UK’s daily users and 60% of those in the U.S.
Still, while younger people might get more experimental with their approach to AI, the most popular uses are shared across both countries, not in attempts to automate their lives, but in much more practical and repeatable tasks to aid in regular life.
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How people use gen AI
In both countries, the number one use of generative AI is simply to learn. People are using AI like an endlessly patient, if occasionally error-prone, tutor.
More than half (54%) of UK respondents say they’ve used tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, or Gemini to learn more about a specific topic, with slightly fewer (48%) in the U.S. saying the same. And though it’s not enormously dissimilar from looking things up on Wikipedia or hunting through Google, it’s apparent that these users find the more conversational, direct format of the AI answer more appealing than traditional resources.
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If you trust AI for teaching, it makes sense you’d likely turn to it for advice when you’re shopping, which is the number two use for the AI assistants. It’s a slightly steep drop for both the UK (46%) and the U.S. (38%) from those using AI to learn, but that’s still a lot of people who have used generative AI to help find or recommend the right product to buy. And it’s a big deal not only for those who have found the ideal purchase, but also for all those running e-commerce stores. It means people may trust an AI’s answer the way they do a professional or crowdsourced review.
Think of it as a more capitalist approach to learning. These tools aren’t just suggesting what shoes to buy or which protein powder ranks highest; they’re filtering options, comparing specs, and sometimes even suggesting niche alternatives you didn’t know existed.
Brainstorming and health
Capturing bronze for AI use is coming up with content ideas, which feels inevitable in 2025. AI might help users with everything from writing social media posts and newsletters to brainstorming blog topics or maybe just naming your new pet turtle. For 45% of AI users in the UK and 36% in the U.S., that’s one way to use AI.
Previous Future AI studies
And both have plenty of AI users who have used generative tools for creative visual assistance, too. Specifically, 41% of UK respondents and 35% of US respondents say they’ve used generative AI that way. For the U.S., that’s actually tied for fourth with users who have asked AI for help with physical or mental health. The health questions are actually above creating visuals in the UK, coming in at fourth in the standings at 43%. Either way, that’s a not insignificant slice of the population turning to AI chatbots for deeply personal, potentially high-stakes queries.
But, even if they’re good at delivering comforting, balanced responses for common questions about things like sleep trouble, anxiety, or diet, it’s worrying that people would turn to AI for health questions when the chatbots aren’t always right and aren’t licensed or aware of your medical history. That’s why most AI tools now include strong disclaimers and why experts warn against relying too heavily on them. In the UK, where NHS wait times can be long, users may be more inclined to start with AI, while in the US, where insurance complications can be daunting, AI may feel like the simpler route to answers.
Part of the furniture
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From a broader perspective, the appeal of using AI for education, shopping, content creation, and health is obvious. It suggests that people use AI chatbots as at least a small part of the basic tools for modern life. And it conveniently is all in one spot. You can learn something, buy something, make something, or find a way to improve your health in a single conversation.
Regardless of the potential and peril of AI chatbots, a real shift from experimentation to practical usage is becoming more evident all the time. These aren’t grand or futuristic explorations of cutting-edge tech. They’re everyday human tasks. The robots didn’t take over. They just started suggesting water bottles and encouraging staying hydrated while studying. We’re arguably moving slowly but surely toward a culture where interacting with AI is like knowing how to use a search engine.
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erichs211@gmail.com (Eric Hal Schwartz)
