Artificial Intelligence: Key insights, data and tables

Here’s what business leaders and policymakers need to know about AI and its uses in entertainment, healthcare, politics and more

 

The large language model (LLM) revolution has brought an explosion of innovation in artificial intelligence (AI) and related technologies — and the social and cultural impact is already being felt. Ipsos is tracking the issues around data, trust, and adoption, in the U.S. and worldwide. Read on for a high-level look at the latest data — or check out the 2025 Ipsos AI Monitor for a closer look at global attitudes. 

Key takeaways

 

Tensions around trust in companies' AI usage

People are split on whether they would trust a brand more or less for using AI to create product images, reviews and descriptive copy. But if you use it, disclose it: Seventy-nine percent agree (40% strongly agree) that companies using AI should have to disclose that use. (Read more.)

If AI use at work is growing, we don't know it

While the AI field is rapidly advancing technically and investment continues to pour in, public opinion isn’t developing at anywhere near the same rate, as reflected in the lastest Ipsos Consumer Tracker. (Read more.)

Americans are using AI for a broader variety of tasks 

69% of American AI users say they’ve used it to search for information. That makes it the most popular use of AI and the one that’s gained the most in popularity over the last year, according to the Ipsos Consumer Tracker. But despite these gains among Americans who already use AI, the past year has brought only modest increases in awareness and adoption among the general population. As it stands, just one in ten Americans say they use AI often. (Read more.)

What we expect from AI in the near term vs. how we expect AI to change our lives

Ipsos' Matt Carmichael theorizes that the things that we worry about when it comes to AI are very near-term and personal, while the things AI inspires wonder about are more far-out and ephemeral. The latest Ipsos Consumer Tracker data affirms this: Near-term and impactful results of AI are a mix of negatives, while AI impacts that could make a big positive difference are seen as less impactful or longer-term. (Read more.)

Americans' attitudes on AI-generated media continue to sour 

In 2023, when ChatGPT was young and the Ipsos Consumer Tracker first asked Americans about their attitudes on AI art, the top responses were all positive: futuristic, innovative and creative. Now, those responses have moved into the Nos. 4-6 slots and been replaced by “Not real art,” “Fake,” and “Controversial.” “Not real art” is up 7 points from last year and 13 points from 2023. “Fake” has doubled over that time, from 14% to 30%. (Read more.)

Americans still have a complicated relationship with AI

Today, the American people seem split on AI. On one hand, there’s a slight rise in the majority of people saying that AI makes them “nervous” (63%, +4 points since we last asked a year ago.) But despite that (or because of it?), more expect to use AI in the future (63%, +6 points) and more think it will change their lives in the next few years. (Read more.)

The generational gaps in what we use AI for

An Ipsos Essentials survey of people familiar with AI in 15 global countries found that Gen Z was more interested in using AI to  improve their work, writing, or organizational skills — while Boomers took a greater interest in using AI to find information or manage their health . (Read more.)

Americans' attitudes on AI going into 2025

At the end of 2024, nearly half of Americans agreed that the government should have a major role in oversight of AI. Meanwhile, while only one in four think AI will create more jobs than it replaces. (Read more.)

Fewer think AI is coming for white collar jobs

There is is a big jump in people thinking that white collar, blue collar, and their own job prospects will get better thanks to AI, according to the latest round of the Ipsos Consumer Tracker. And perhaps counterintuitively, more now think AI will lead to an improvement in energy use, despite more and more coverage of how energy-demanding it is to run AI systems. (Read more.)

A perceived lack of benefits is a major barrier to adoption of AI tools

One in three people (33%) say they don't think they have any need for AI tools, and another 19% say they don't see the benefit of using them, according to the Ipsos Consumer Tracker. All of this points to a marketing challenge for tech companies – though likely a solvable one with the right creative and media. (Read more.)

The forms of creativity people think AI will help — and harm 

History often hints at the future. In the past, tech disruptions led to more jobs being created than lost. There aren’t nearly as many darkroom techs as there used to be, but there are plenty of people creating photography. The thing here is that AI is disrupting so many creative (and less creative) professions all at once. That’s the part that will be hard to forecast. (Read more.)

The AI-driven shifts Americans find most worrying

The democratization of creative tools is revolutionizing the landscape of creativity — but also prompting new fears around the devaluing of human ingenuity. (Read more.)

Some young adults are turning to AI-powered mental health services 

Therapeutic uses of generative AI remain controversial — but recent Ipsos polling suggests that one in five young Americans has experimented with mental health services powered by this technology. (Read more.)

People around the world are worried about rampant AI

60%, on average across 30 countries, are concerned about an AI-based defense system becoming a threat to humanity by breaking free of human control. How real the threat is perceived to be depends on where one lives, with 45% of people in Sweden versus 76% in Indonesia agreeing the threat is real, while 64% of Americans think the threat is real vs. 59% of Canadians. (Read more.)

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