Teenagers are the big users of generative artificial intelligence
Teenagers and children are the big users of generative artificial intelligence, a new survey shows. 79% of UK online teenagers aged 13-17 now use generative AI tools and services, with a significant minority of younger children aged 7-12 also adopting the technology (40%). Adult internet users aged 16 and above are, on average, comparatively more reluctant users of generative AI (31%).
The survey by UK media authority Ofcom shows that among those who have never used this technology (69%), nearly one in four have no idea what it is (24%).
“Snapchat My AI – which became freely available to all Snap users in April 2023 – is the most popular generative AI tool among children and teens, used by half (51%) of online 7–17-year-olds. Online teenage girls are its most avid users (75%).”
“ChatGPT is the most widely used generative AI service among internet users aged 16 and above (23%). Among online youngsters aged 7-17, boys are keener users of ChatGPT than girls (34% versus 14%).”
The survey says most simply use generative AI for fun (58%), a third use it for work (33%) while a quarter (25%) turn to it for help with their studies.
“Chatting and exploring the capabilities of generative AI are the most popular activities (48%), followed by finding information or content (36%) and seeking advice (22%).”
People are also using generative AI for creative tasks including devising text, for example poetry or lyrics (20%), creating images (20%), making videos (9%) and audio (4%). One in ten (11%) use it for coding.
“But internet users are also conscious of the potential risks of generative AI, with over half (58%) concerned about its future impact on society. Interestingly, the most prolific users of generative AI among this broader group – the online 16–24-year-olds – are also most likely to be worried about its societal implications (67%)”, Ofcom says.
The survey also shows that YouTube was visited by more UK online adults using smartphones, tablets or computers, than Facebook. 91% of online adults visited YouTube in May 2023, overtaking Facebook (90.7%) which saw its visitors fall by 1.4 million during the last year.
Around a quarter of internet users aged 16+ (23%) tried Meta’s new service, Threads, at least once in the first two months since its launch in July 2023.
Threads’ reach, however, remains significantly lower than X’s (earlier Twitter) which was used by 52% of online users aged 16+ in the last year.
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