US adults who have used generative AI
Share of US adults aged 18-64 who have ever used generative AI, from the Bick-Blandin-Deming Real-Time Population Survey (quarterly via FRED), with use in the last week shown alongside.
Reason through thisThe reading
Breadth is rising by about ten points a year and sits inside the normal band; the paper's shallow-depth finding (hours assisted) is the other half of the picture.
9 readings drawn from fred.us_adults.any_use_share.q, one of 2 series listed under How it is measured; 18 observations in the evidence.
Source: FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data). Bick, Blandin & Deming, Real-Time Population Survey, retrieved from FRED.
The numbers
| as of | reading | value | record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-30 | us adults | 60.8% | reported |
| 2026-06-30 | us adults | 61.8% | reported |
| 2026-03-31 | us adults | 57.6% | reported |
| 2025-12-31 | us adults | 56.0% | reported |
| 2025-09-30 | us adults | 54.5% | reported |
| 2025-06-30 | us adults | 51.9% | reported |
| 2025-03-31 | us adults | 48.0% | reported |
| 2024-12-31 | us adults | 46.3% | reported |
| 2024-09-30 | us adults | 44.6% | reported |
Why it matters
The extensive margin. The paper expects breadth to move fast and depth to lag; this is the breadth half of that claim, read against hours assisted.
What cuts against it
Self-reported "ever used" is a low bar; one survey (the paper's own figures are the same instrument, so they are not counted as a second source, and the status stays emerging until an independent measure agrees); the question wording changed between waves, so small moves are not trend.
How it is measured
- series
fred.us_adults.any_use_share.q - series
fred.us_adults.use_last_week_share.q - source FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) · default tier 6 · FRED terms of use; RPS series by Bick, Blandin & Deming
- proxy behaviour, deployment · cadence quarterly · valve product to adoption
Normal = up to three quarters of adults four years after launch (the internet took about a decade to reach that share of US adults); fast = near-universal use at the same age. Anchors: 44.6% in the first FRED wave (Q3 2024) and 61.8% in Q2 2026.
Applied to fred.us_adults.any_use_share.q.
Latest readings
Why this status, and its history
61.8% of US adults have used generative AI (Q2 2026, FRED), inside the normal band, but the reading rests on one survey: the paper's own figure was counted as a second source when it is the same instrument. With one non-primary source the two-source rule caps the status at emerging until an independent measure agrees.
- 2026-09-11consistent with normal to emergingconf 70 → 70 · Claude (model)
61.8% of US adults have used generative AI (Q2 2026, FRED), inside the normal band, but the reading rests on one survey: the paper's own figure was counted as a second source when it is the same instrument. With one non-primary source the two-source rule caps the status at emerging until an independent measure agrees.
source1 - 2026-09-11unmeasured to consistent with normalconf — → 70 · the evaluator (automatic)
Evaluator: 61.8% (FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data), 2026-06-30) is inside the consistent band (hi=75.0%). Auto-reason; band rationale: Normal = up to three quarters of adults four years after launch (the internet took about a decade to reach that share of US adults); fast = near-universal use at the same age. Anchors: 44.6% in the first FRED wave (Q3 2024) and 61.8% in Q2 2026.
source1
Why this confidence
Rests on 18 observations from FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data); best evidence tier 6, grade B; current.
Confidence is independent of status: 90–95 multiple strong independent sources; 70–89 good evidence, some ambiguity; 50–69 mixed or hard to operationalise; 0–49 limited or vague evidence.