Less Than a Quarter of Americans Use AI to Create or Edit Images

A new survey from Pew Research Center finds that fewer than one in four Americans - 24% - use artificial intelligence tools to create or edit images or videos. The data provides a rare, broad look at how generative visual AI has translated from industry buzz into actual public behavior, and the picture is more measured than much of the coverage surrounding these tools might suggest.

The figure is notable given how much attention text-to-image and video generation platforms have received over the past few years. Tools like Midjourney, Adobe Firefly, Stable Diffusion, Runway, and others have attracted significant media coverage and investment, yet the Pew data suggests that a large majority of the American public has not integrated them into regular use. Awareness and curiosity do not always convert into habitual adoption, and this study appears to reflect that gap.

Several factors likely contribute to the relatively low adoption rate. Many generative image and video tools still require a learning curve, a paid subscription, or both. There are also ongoing public concerns around the ethics of AI-generated imagery - including issues of copyright, misinformation, and the displacement of human creators - which may give some users pause. For others, there may simply be no clear personal use case that makes the tools feel relevant or necessary.

The Pew Research Center has been tracking American attitudes and behaviors around AI at a broader level, and this data point fits into a wider pattern showing that public adoption of AI tools tends to be more cautious and uneven than industry narratives often imply. For developers and companies in the generative image and video space, the findings highlight that building capable technology is only part of the challenge - reaching and retaining everyday users remains a distinct and ongoing problem.