The Rapid Adoption of Generative AI

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is a potentially important new technology, but its impact on the economy depends on the speed and intensity of adoption. This paper reports results from a series of nationally representative U.S. surveys of generative AI use at work and at home. As of late 2024, nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population age 18-64 uses generative AI. 23 percent of employed respondents had used generative AI for work at least once in the previous week, and 9 percent used it every work day. Relative to each technology’s first mass-market product launch, work adoption of generative AI has been as fast as the personal computer (PC), and overall adoption has been faster than either PCs or the internet. Generative AI and PCs have very similar early adoption patterns by education, occupation, and other characteristics. Between 1 and 5 percent of all work hours are currently assisted by generative AI, and respondents report time savings equivalent to 1.4 percent of total work hours. This suggests that substantial productivity gains from generative AI are possible.