4 Min Read
Curious Energy Meets Protective Instincts
Ask people how they feel about AI and you get a contradictory picture. Overall, 30% feel somewhat positive and 18% very positive, while 25% are neutral. Negatives are real but smaller: 16% somewhat negative and 10% very negative.
The news cycle isn’t calming anyone down. Headlines inspire interest for some (36%) while leaving others worried (31%). Broadly, people are leaning into AI but want proof to relieve skepticism and concern. Recent QuestBrand data shows that ChatGPT is gaining equity with both Gen Z and Baby Boomers, signaling generational parity for the brand. While younger consumers adopt AI tools faster, older generations are leaning in and finding value as well.
From Curiosity to Habits
Despite mixed emotions, usage is real:
- 8% use AI several times a day
- 15% daily
- 22% weekly
- 9% monthly
- 48% a few times a month or less
Consumers are steadily deepening their engagement with AI. As tools demonstrate more everyday value, adoption will shift from exploration to lasting habits.
Where AI shows up in daily life (multi-select):
- Creativity (37%)
- Entertainment (33%)
- Productivity (31%)
- Shopping (27%)
- Health (25%)
On wellbeing, the story is mixed: 35% use AI for fitness or health goals, and 23% for mental health or mindfulness; however, wariness mostly reigns when it comes to leveraging AI for wellbeing practices.
Takeaway: More consumers are leaning in, but there’s untapped potential in how AI could support daily wellbeing and productivity.
Workflows That Stick (and Where Adoption Stalls)
42% of consumers believe AI helps them be more productive at work.
Top workplace uses include (multi-select):
- Research (40%)
- Writing emails (28%)
- Writing content (27%)
- Task management (24%)
- Product discovery (18%)
- Meeting summaries (18%)
- Crafting proposals (15%)
- Improving sales calls (11%)
Career outlook remains cautiously optimistic: 25% see AI as support, 21% as opportunity, and 18% as a threat. The rest remain unsure leaving an opening for training and guidance.
Shopping With AI: Help Me Decide, Don’t Push Me
Shoppers lean on AI for (multi-select):
- Price comparisons (39%)
- Product search (39%)
- Recommendations (33%)
- Customer reviews (32%)
Only 20% admit to an impulse purchase based on an AI suggestion.
Implication for commerce teams: Build AI into shopping flows that accelerate decisions while maintaining trust and transparency.
The Trust Gap is a Growth Ceiling
When we asked how much consumers trust AI compared to their friends and family, trust falters and skepticism takes the lead.
- 39% trust AI much less
- 24% somewhat less
- 22% equally
- 9% somewhat more
- 5% much more
For personal advice (relationships, life, or finances):
- 40% distrust AI (21% completely, 19% somewhat)
- 29% are neutral
- 31% express trust (22% somewhat, 9% completely)
On money management, responses show hesitation:
- 26% say no
- 28% not sure
- 32% possibly with the right tools
- 14% yes, definitely
That’s 46% open to persuasion—but only with safe, transparent products.
Bottom line: Trust has to be built into to the feature set.
Cultivating Trust and Driving Usage
Data Transparency
Trust is still a barrier. To strengthen it:
- Cite sources
- Expose reasoning
- Offer one-click “explain this answer”
Source transparency will be critical in health and finance before consumers fully give AI their trust.
Safety
Consumers need clear, accessible information on how their data is used. Making it easier to opt out and erase history may help ease concerns.
For brands, make safety visible: add contextual warnings where appropriate and provide tips to guide consumers toward the best outcomes.
Productivity
Even frequent users have only scratched the surface of AI’s potential for productivity. Companies building AI tools should lead with education on how AI can help while reinforcing safety.
New Frontiers
While some worry AI may take jobs, others joke it isn’t taking the right ones—“I enjoy writing, but I wish AI could do my laundry.”
The truth is, there’s room for AI to expand into everyday life. Brands that acknowledge hesitations and needs may unlock the next frontier of AI growth.
Tools like QuestDIY by The Harris Poll can help uncover consumer perceptions, needs, and opportunities. With a built-in panel surveying real people in over 100 countries, QuestDIY delivers insights that help brands make their next best decision in hours not days.
