Q1 2025 (January - March)
Welcome to our SurveyMonkey AI Sentiment study, a quarterly report designed to measure ongoing changes in AI usage and consumer sentiment. This study began in Q4 2024, and updates will be released during the first month of each quarter. Below, you will find the latest results, links to historical findings, and details on our research methodology.
Our previous results are located here: Q4 '24 results
Q1 '25 key findings
- Gen Zers drive AI growth in 2025, while Gen Xers and Boomers also contribute to growth
- Consumers have mixed expectations for AI’s impact on their lives
- Americans are still wary of AI, but the wow-factor persists
- Usage of AI for learning and school increases
- Users see mixed impact from AI, but few expect mostly negative ramifications
- AI features in products fail to gain traction among consumers
Gen Zers drive AI usage in 2025, while Gen Xers and Boomers also contribute to growth
One in four (26%) Americans have used AI daily or weekly within the past three months, up two percentage points from the previous quarter. Gen Zers are the primary drivers of this increased usage, with 36% having used the technology on a weekly or daily basis within the last three months, up from 32% the previous quarter. Gen Xers and Boomers also saw a minor bump in usage (22% to 24% and 15% to 17%, respectively), while usage among Millennials is unchanged quarter over quarter.
Americans are still wary of AI, but the wow-factor persists
Americans’ feelings about artificial intelligence sees little change from the previous quarter:
- 28% are skeptical, up from 27% the previous quarter
- 28% are concerned, up from 27% the previous quarter
- 26% are impressed, up from 24% the previous quarter
- 18% are indifferent, on par from the previous quarter (17%)
- 18% are excited, on par from the previous quarter (18%)
- 14% are nervous, on par from the previous quarter (14%)
- 10% are confused, down from the previous quarter (11%)
While skepticism and concern remain the leading sentiment towards AI, Americans continue to be impressed with the technology.
Usage of AI for learning and school increases
Using AI for work remains the leading use case for Americans who use AI daily or weekly (49%), followed by personal assistance (46%), learning (46%), and fun (42%). Across all categories, only AI for learning and school increased quarter over quarter (from 42% to 46%), driven by growth among Gen Z (61% to 68%), and Millennials (43% to 49%).
Users see mixed impact from AI, but few expect mostly negative ramifications
Nearly half (45%) of Americans who have ever used AI see both positive and negative impacts from AI, slightly up from 43% the previous quarter. One in five (22%) remain unsure, and less than three in ten (28%) believe that AI will have a net positive impact on their life, continuing to outnumber the 4% who cite a negative impact.
AI features in products fail to gain traction among consumers
Despite the growth in AI usage among Americans, the technology continues to see limited impact in attracting customers to products: among those who have ever used AI, one in four (25%) say products that contain AI features make them want to use them more, while three in four (75%) either want the product less (16%), are not sure (32%), or cite no particular impact.
This is more apparent among adults who have never used AI within the past three months: 41% are not sure, while 28% want the product less, 26% cite no impact, and only 4% say AI as a feature makes them want a product more.
Methodology: This SurveyMonkey study was conducted October 25, 2024 to March 31, 2025 among a sample of 66,403 adults in the US. Respondents for this survey were selected from a non-probability online panel. The modeled error estimate for this survey is +/- 1.0pp for Q4 2024 data, and +/- 1.0pp for Q1 2025 data. Data have been weighted for age, race, sex, education, and geography using the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey to reflect the overall demographic composition of the United States.
