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If 1 listens casually to the sermon astir generative AI today, it would beryllium casual to travel to the decision that everyone is clamoring for much AI capabilities and can't hold to usage them successful their regular lives. But a caller ZDNET/Aberdeen survey into AI assistants shows a wide disconnect betwixt however overmuch vendors are pushing AI assistants and however overmuch users really privation these capabilities -- astatine slightest for now.
In fact, the survey from March 2025 recovered that 71% of Americans would not wage other for AI adjunct features successful the products that they use. And portion this fig does alteration based connected property radical (with the fig rising to 81% for those 55+ and falling to 56% for those 18-34), determination is small enthusiasm crossed the committee for AI adjunct features, with lone 16% of the Gen Z demographic saying that they would wage other for AI.
Key takeaways from the survey
A bulk of each US adults accidental successful 1 mode oregon different they volition not usage astir AI features. Only "using AI to reply questions" had a flimsy majority, with 52% saying they would often oregon occasionally usage it. Also, answering questions was the lone AI diagnostic that broke azygous digits for predominant use, with 13% saying they would usage it frequently.
The slightest desired usage of an AI diagnostic was "an AI adjunct to negociate tasks", with 64% saying they wouldn't usage it, would crook disconnected the capableness if possible, oregon would halt utilizing a merchandise with this feature.
When asked if they would halt utilizing a merchandise if they couldn't crook disconnected oregon region AI adjunct features, 31% said they would halt utilizing that merchandise (including 28% of Gen Z), with an further 38% saying they might. With these results, 1 tin adjacent spot that for a important conception of users, AI assistants could really beryllium a antagonistic erstwhile it comes to gaining oregon retaining customers.
On the flip side, a bulk recovered worth successful each the AI applications tested, with the astir invaluable being "using an AI adjunct for photograph editing" (with 58% feeling it would beryllium precise oregon somewhat valuable) and the slightest invaluable being "AI adjunct for virtual gathering tools" (with 52% uncovering value).
These findings are successful stark opposition to the mode that galore of the apical vendors are approaching AI and AI assistants. In astir cases, vendors are taking a full-steam-ahead strategy of embedding AI assistants successful each of their halfway products, from smartphones to productivity tools to gathering and communications apps.
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Along with these assertive AI strategies are arsenic ambitious plans to summation costs oregon marque AI a diagnostic that users volition wage other for. Given the magnitude of effort and resources that vendors are putting into AI and AI assistants, they intelligibly expect users to wholeheartedly clasp AI successful each parts of their enactment and idiosyncratic lives.
However, the caller ZDNET/Aberdeen survey shows that determination is small existent grounds that this strategy volition wage off, with lone 8% of adults saying they would wage other for AI capabilities successful their products and services. And caller surveys by CNET and Aberdeen amusement a akin deficiency of enthusiasm for AI diagnostic sets, with immoderate suggesting that AI has already entered the "trough of disillusionment" signifier of the Gartner hype cycle.
In fact, erstwhile we asked adults if they would halt utilizing a merchandise if they couldn't crook disconnected oregon region AI adjunct features, 31% said they would halt utilizing that merchandise (including 28% of Gen Z), with an further 38% saying they might. With these results, 1 tin adjacent spot that for a important conception of users, AI assistants could really beryllium a antagonistic erstwhile it comes to gaining oregon retaining customers.
Disinterest successful AI assistants is simply a cross-generational trait
To recognize if the disinterest successful AI capabilities was broad-based oregon focused connected circumstantial AI features, we asked US adults questions connected however often they would usage communal AI capabilities, from penning to representation editing to answering questions to assistants to assistance with regular tasks. A bulk of adults said they would ne'er usage AI successful astir cases tested.
Even much concerning, fixed however astir hype astir AI centers astir however it volition go cardinal to your regular life, users who said they would often usage AI were successful azygous digits successful each but 1 usage lawsuit (using AI to assistance reply questions, which was astatine 13%). This means that adjacent among those who volition usage AI, they volition mostly lone usage it occasionally, which hardly fits the communicative of AI being the main mode things volition get done.
Of course, immoderate would respond that the results are skewed by older generations who are uncomfortable with AI. But erstwhile we look astatine conscionable Gen Z (18 -28), portion the results for AI improve, they are hardly enthusiastic.
In astir cases among Gen Z, predominant usage of AI features stays successful the mid-teens, with lone "using AI to reply questions" breaking the 1 successful 5 threshold (23%). And Gen Z adults who accidental they volition ne'er usage circumstantial AI features stays close astir half, meaning that relying connected Gen Z to marque up for deficiency of enthusiasm among older generations whitethorn not beryllium a winning strategy.
But what astir AI assistants designed to assistance users with communal tasks and scheduling? For example, utilizing an AI adjunct to put travel, acquisition goods oregon marque a meal reservation. Attend immoderate vendor announcement astir caller AI capabilities and these examples are typically beforehand and center.
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However, our probe shows that this is 1 of the slightest fashionable of each AI capabilities. We recovered that 64% of adults said that they would ne'er usage an AI adjunct to negociate and docket tasks and events (with 6% of those going arsenic acold arsenic to accidental they'd halt utilizing a merchandise with this capability) 49% of Gen Z and 56% of Millennials would ne'er usage AI for this. Right now, this appears to beryllium a wide lawsuit of AI vendors telling users what they privation alternatively than looking for areas wherever users mightiness really worth AI.
Seeing the imaginable worth successful AI assistants
While the results of this survey are hardly bully quality for immoderate institution that is all-in connected AI adjunct usage close now, adults are not wholly down connected AI and AI assistants. When we asked if they saw imaginable worth successful AI instrumentality integrations, the results were decidedly much affirmative for AI proponents.
In each AI usage cases tested, a bulk of adults recovered AI capabilities precise oregon somewhat valuable, and successful Gen Z adults, implicit 6 successful 10 recovered worth successful each areas tested. Interestingly, integrating AI assistants into photograph editing tools, a capableness that was among the lowest erstwhile asked if they would usage it, was 1 country wherever users saw the astir imaginable value, with 58% uncovering it precise oregon somewhat valuable.
This ties into the penetration that among extremity users, frequence of usage is not needfully connected to value. US adults spot an AI that occasionally helps with improving photos and media to beryllium much invaluable than, for example, an AI adjunct designed to tally each of your regular tasks.
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While conscionable a twelvemonth agone it mightiness person seemed that generative AI and AI assistants would beryllium contiguous successes and debar classical hype cycles, we spot that is not the case. As the hype rhythm for generative AI and AI assistants starts to inclination downward, we spot a emblematic concern wherever a technology's capabilities are overpromised, imaginable downfalls (such arsenic hallucinations and inaccuracies) are ignored, and what users really privation is not taken into account.
But determination is committedness connected the horizon. If businesses tin dilatory down capable to absorption connected wherever AI provides existent assistance and tin debar indiscriminately pushing unwanted and unready capabilities astatine users, determination is bully imaginable for AI and AI assistants to debar the bottommost of the hype rhythm and go a regular portion of mundane enactment and idiosyncratic lives.
Methodology: All figures, unless different stated, are from YouGov Plc. The full illustration size was 2,354 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken betwixt March 6-10, 2025. The survey was carried retired online. The figures person been weighted and are typical of each US adults (aged 18+).
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