State of AI: How and why users choose LLMs
From the tasks people trust AI with to how often they turn to it and why they pick one tool over another, Lorka AI surveyed 1,000 US adults to uncover how free and paid users are really using AI today.
- Sample
- 1,000 US adults
- Country
- United States
- Fieldwork
- 4–9 June 2026
Key takeaways
of Americans use AI tools regularly
is the average monthly spend on AI tools and subscriptions
use AI for research or learning, which is the most common use case
of users plan to use AI the same or more over the next 12 months
Methodology statement
This research was conducted via a quantitative online survey commissioned by Lorka AI and carried out by OnePoll between 4th and 9th June 2026. A total of 1,000 US adults were surveyed on their AI usage habits, including what they use AI for, how many AI models they use, how often they use AI, and their reasons for choosing a particular AI tool.
Frequency of AI use
35% of Americans use AI tools regularly, but the number jumps to 47% among 18–24 year olds
How often Americans use AI tools
- Use AI regularly35%
- Use occasionally20%
- Use infrequently13%
- Tried, but don't use anymore8%
- Never used AI tools24%
Number of tools used
Nearly a third of users (32%) stick to a single AI tool, while more than a fifth (22%) juggle three or more.
How many AI tools people use
What people use AI for
People most often turn to AI to learn, with research and learning as the most common use cases, well ahead of writing, wellness, creative tasks, and casual conversation.
Typical AI Use Cases
Rises to 72% among over-65s
Rises to 43% among 45–54-year-olds
Over-65s are the heaviest researchers at 72%, while 18–24s are 50% more likely than average to use AI for work tasks (42% vs. 28%)
Factors that matter most when choosing an AI tool
Accuracy or reliability (48%) is the top factor when choosing an AI tool, followed by ease of use (40%) and data privacy (35%).
What matters most when choosing an AI service
- 1Accuracy or reliability of responses48%
- 2Ease of use or interface40%
- 3Data privacy35%
- 4Price26%
- 5Brand trust or reputation25%
- 6Available features24%
- 7Customer support16%
- 8Integration with other tools I use15%
- 9None of the above / none in particular6%
AI Spending
Average Spend on AI Tools
Free vs. Paid Users
- Free tools only / don't pay56%
- Spend $1–$19 per month19%
- Spend $20 or more per month22%
Value Perception
- Get good value for what they pay67%
- Pay too much for what they use15%
- Could be getting more for what they pay14%
Among paying users: 67% of paying users feel they get good value for what they pay, 15% feel they pay too much for what they use, and 14% feel they could be getting more for what they pay.
User plans for the year ahead
61% of users plan to use AI the same or more over the next 12 months, while just 7% are considering cutting back on their AI usage.
Plans for using AI over the next 12 months
Why some are staying away from AI
Among the 24% of Americans who don't use AI, the top barriers aren't cost or ethics. Non-AI users do not know where to start (21%) and do not see the value (15%).
Main reasons for not using AI tools
2025-2026 AI LLM Usage Trends in the US
ChatGPT still leads US AI chatbot usage at 66%, followed by Microsoft Copilot (11%), Google Gemini (10%), Claude (7%), Perplexity (5%), and Deepseek (1%).
US AI chatbot usage share
Source: Statcounter: AI Chatbot Market Share in United States Of America - June 2026
In the last year, ChatGPT's US market share dropped from 76% to 66% as users are changing to a multi-model approach, with Claude rising to nearly 7% and Google Gemini exceeding 10%.
Read the full report
Explore the complete dataset behind the headlines — full methodology, demographic breakdowns by age, gender, region, employment and household income, plus every chart and analysis.
Read the full report- Full methodology & sample composition
- Complete demographic breakdowns
- All charts and detailed analysis
- Free vs. paid user comparison