A New Study from 5W

Daily AI users are +57.
Everyone else is −42.
A 99-point gap — the widest behavioral divide in American public opinion.

How often Americans use AI predicts their view of it more than party, race, gender, or age — by a 3-to-1 margin. Daily AI users already live in 2030. The rest of the country is closing the gap fast.

99
Point favorability gap
between daily & non-users
39.4%
U.S. adults using
generative AI in 2 years
3×
Stronger predictor than
party, race, gender, age
67%
Of Americans expect AI
to reshape life by 2031
The Numbers Findings 01 — 06
+57 vs. −42

The Power User Lead.

Daily AI users in the U.S. favor AI by +57 points. Rare or never users: −42. The 99-point spread is wider than every other split tested in the same survey — gender (26 pts), race (32 pts), age (35 pts), or party (~14 pts). It is not a permanent divide. It is a preview.

Behavioral splits on AI favorability — same survey
Use Frequency
99 pts
Age
35 pts
Race
32 pts
Gender
26 pts
Party
14 pts

Source: Data for Progress, Feb. 2026, n=1,228

73%

The Power User Consensus on Jobs.

Among daily AI users, 73% expect AI to improve jobs. Among Americans who do not use AI regularly, only 23% agree. A 50-point conviction gap on the most consequential question of the next decade.

Source: Pew Research Center, April 2025 · Stanford HAI 2026

75%

The Personal Conviction.

75% of daily users say AI will personally benefit them. Among non-users: 24%. The Power User population is, in effect, already living inside a different consumer reality — one of optimism, productivity gain, and personal advantage.

Source: Pew Research Center, April 2025

39.4%

Faster Than the Internet.

Generative AI reached 39.4% of U.S. adults in two years — outpacing the personal computer and the internet at the same stage. Adoption is accelerating, not plateauing. Each new Power User narrows the 99-point gap by themselves.

Source: Harvard / Bick, Blandin & Deming, 2024

83%

The World Has Already Decided.

Globally, 59% say AI's benefits outweigh its drawbacks — up from 55% in 2024. In emerging Asia, optimism runs at levels Americans have not seen on any technology in a generation. The U.S. (39%) ranks near the bottom of 32 countries — but optimism is rising fastest in previously skeptical markets.

01
China
83%
02
Indonesia
80%
03
Thailand
77%
04
Malaysia
75%
05
India
67%
Global Average
59%
28
United Kingdom
46%
29
Germany
44%
30
Canada
40%
31
United States
39%
32
Netherlands
36%

Source: Stanford HAI 2026 · Ipsos AI Monitor

67%

The Defining Shift of This Era.

Americans rank AI as more transformative than smartphones, cybersecurity, electric vehicles, GLP-1s, or robotics. 67% expect AI to reshape daily life within five years. The disagreement is not whether — only when each person decides to step into it.

Source: Ipsos AI Monitor, March 2026

The people using AI every day are simply living in the future first. Life before AI will soon feel like life before the cellphone, email, or the internet.
Ronn Torossian  ·  Founder & Chairman, 5W
About 5W

The AI Communications Firm.

5W builds brand authority across the platforms where decisions now happen — ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews — alongside earned media, digital, and influencer channels.

Visit 5wpr.com →

Methodology & Sources

The 5W AI Power User Study synthesizes findings from Data for Progress (Feb. 2026, n=1,228), Pew Research Center (April 2025, n=5,410 U.S. adults & 1,013 AI experts), the Stanford HAI 2026 AI Index, the Ipsos AI Monitor (March 2026), and the Harvard generative AI adoption tracker.

Media Contact: 5W Media Inquiries · [email protected] · (212) 999-5585