Generative AI becomes a gateway to information

Generative AI is becoming part of everyday information infrastructure, according to Reuters Institute research covering nine countries. Across six countries tracked in earlier surveys, weekly use rose from 34% in 2025 to 51% in 2026. Daily use reached 28% in 2026, up from 16% in 2025. Adoption remained higher among younger people, those with higher incomes and education, and workers in highly skilled jobs.

Finding information overtook content creation as the most common purpose. Weekly use for information increased from 11% in 2024 to 38% in 2026. Researching topics led, followed by seeking advice and factual answers. ChatGPT remained the leading platform, with weekly use rising from 22% to 34%, while Gemini increased from 11% to 24%.

Exposure also extended beyond deliberate chatbot use: 57% across the nine countries encountered AI-generated search summaries in the past week. Paid AI access reached 18%, matching the share paying for news. Autonomous agents remained less established, with 67% reporting no use in the preceding week and only 14% using an agent for a real task. Brazil was not included in the sample, so the findings do not establish adoption trends in that market.