3 in 5 Americans Report AI Improves Their Lives, Survey Reveals Varying Adoption Rates Across States

3 in 5 Americans Say AI Improves Their Lives: Here's Where Most of Them Live

(Credit: SOPA Images/Contributor/LightRocket via Getty Images) Many Americans say artificial intelligence tools improve their daily lives, according to a new study by AI company Listening. Nearly three in five respondents indicated that AI has improved the quality of their daily lives, and one in six say they are dependent on it "in some way." There are a couple of caveats to the data to keep in mind. The survey company did not mention how many people it polled, only that it "surveyed Americans in every US state." PCMag reached out for more information and will update this story if we hear back. The company also has an incentive to promote the technology, as it sells an AI-powered app for students and researchers. Still, its findings are roughly in line with what we'd expect and show some applicable daily uses for AI that are worth experimenting with at the very least. ChatGPT is, unsurprisingly, the most popular app, with 80% of respondents reporting usage. Google Translate takes the second spot (45%), followed by Google Gemini (33%). Other popular tools include Canva, Grammarly, Microsoft Copilot, and Dall-E. The most common reasons for using AI are writing and editing, as well as online search, which roughly 62% of correspondents listed as their top purposes. After that, it's summarizing text (43%), brainstorming (39%), and generative art (32%). Of those who are using AI, half say it helps them at work. The majority (60%) are using AI at least once a week, and a third of respondents say their use of AI tools increased in the past year. Reliance on AI varies by state, with Oregon, Florida, and Arizona residents being the most reliant. That's a pretty wide geographic spread; it's not concentrated all on the West Coast or Northeast, for example. On the flip side, the states with the least reliance on AI are Missouri, Mississippi, and Rhode Island. Here's how the survey calculated a reliance score for each respondent: "We awarded points to answers that represented reliance on AI and calculated the average score for each respondent. We then calculated the average by state and adjusted scores on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 representing the most reliant. Finally, we ranked states according to where residents rely on AI the most and least."

AI adoption is increasing, with 3 in 5 Americans saying it improves their lives

In a nutshell: Artificial intelligence, and not just the generative kind, has never been more prevalent than it is today. But many people's views of the technology range from skepticism to outright hostility. However, a recent survey shows that 3 in 5 US participants believe AI has improved their lives. It also revealed the states that rely most and least on AI. The Listening App, which specializes in using AI to turn text into speech, surveyed Americans in various large cities across the country to learn more about their usage of AI. Questions covered the frequencies of respondents' AI use, which tools they used, the purposes they have for these tools, and more. The answers were then used to create a reliance score from 0 to 100, with 100 representing populations most reliant on AI tools. Some of the main takeaways include 60% of participants using AI tools or apps at least once a week. One in two have used AI to support their work, and nearly two thirds say their use of AI tools has increased in the past year. Probably the two biggest findings are that 1 in 6 people said they have become dependent on AI in some way, while 3 in 5 said it has improved the quality of their daily life. With a reliance score of 99.4, Oregon is the state with the highest reliance score, followed by Florida (98.6) and Arizona (94.6). The state least reliant on AI was Missouri (70.8), followed by Mississippi (73.5), and Rhode Island (75.1). While the survey covers all types of AI, it was ChatGPT that proved the most widely used tool, with 77.9% saying they had used it. Google Translate was second with 44.8%, followed by Gemini (33.2%), Canva (28.5%), Grammarly (25.3%), and Copilot (22.2%). As for their purposes, most people (62.7%) use AI for writing and editing. Online searching was a close second at 61.4%, followed by summarizing text (42.7%), brainstorming (39%), and generative art (32%). There are some important caveats to remember here: the survey was carried out by an AI company, and it doesn't reveal how many people took part in the study. Still, the technology's role in society, for better and for worse, cannot be overstated.