According to the latest edition of the Ipsos AI Monitor, published on June 2, conducted across 32 countries among more than 23,500 people, 54% of respondents believe that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has already changed their lives over the past three to five years. A total of 66% expect its impact to increase even further in the years ahead.
Nearly one person in two (49%) believes that the potential benefits of AI for society outweigh its environmental costs.
In the United States, the share of frequent users has risen from 17% to 24%, while the proportion of people who never use these tools has fallen from 26% to 17%.
In the workplace, 50% of employees report seeing AI being used, compared with 38% a year earlier. The use of data analysis tools has increased from 32% to 41%, while the share of image generators has risen from 25% to 33%.
In the United States, 44% of adults believe AI makes them more productive, and 67% say it saves time and resources. Yet its adoption remains far from universal: 38% of employees still do not use AI at work. This share varies significantly by age, ranging from 26% among those under 35 to 59% among those over 55.
AI-related enthusiasm is not evolving in the same way everywhere
Between 2025 and 2026, the proportion of people expressing enthusiasm for AI-powered products and services increased by:
– 7 points in South Africa,
– 5 points in South Korea,
– 4 points in Belgium and 3 points in Colombia,
– 2 points in Ireland, Spain and Japan.
By contrast, enthusiasm declined:
– by 8 points in Germany and the United Kingdom,
– by 7 points in France, by 6 points in Chile, Malaysia and Singapore,
– and by 5 points in the United States, Brazil, Canada, the Netherlands and Poland.
Strong perceptions of risk
In the United States, 66% of respondents believe AI is developing too quickly, although 76% say people need to adapt to these changes.
Nearly three in four Americans want the government to intervene to limit AI-related job losses.
Only 40% believe the benefits of AI outweigh the risks of job displacement, while around 50% think it will increase income inequality and social polarization.
Fragile trust
Only one person in ten believes that no regulation is needed, while just 11% of communications professionals consider current ethical rules sufficient.
The infrastructure required to support AI is also viewed with caution: only 27% of Americans believe AI-related data centers will make a significant contribution to economic growth and employment.
Generational gaps remain significant
Nearly 50% of Americans under the age of 29 trust AI for financial advice, while older generations are much more cautious. 27% of Generation Z respondents would allow an AI agent to make purchases on their behalf, compared with just 4% of Generation X and Baby Boomers.
Human-created content remains overwhelmingly preferred
About 75% of Americans want news and entertainment content to be created by humans, while nearly two-thirds express the same preference for artistic and advertising content.
Key figures from the Ipsos AI Monitor 2026
| Indicator | Result |
|---|---|
| People saying AI has already changed their lives (32 countries) | 54% |
| People expecting a greater impact in the future | 66% |
| Benefits considered greater than environmental costs | 49% |
| Frequent AI users in the United States | 24% |
| People who never use AI | 17% |
| Employees seeing ChatGPT used in their workplace | 50% |
| Adults saying AI makes them more productive | 44% |
| People saying AI saves time | 67% |
| Employees not using AI at work | 38% |
| People over 55 not using AI at work | 59% |
| People under 35 not using AI at work | 26% |
| People saying AI is developing too fast | 66% |
| People saying society needs to adapt to AI | 76% |
| Benefits outweigh job-related risks | 40% |
| People fearing greater inequality | 50% |
| Communications professionals considering current ethics rules sufficient | 11% |
| Positive economic impact expected from AI data centers | 27% |
| Preference for human-created news content | 75% |
| Increase in enthusiasm in South Africa | +7 points |
| Decline in enthusiasm in France | −7 points |
| Decline in enthusiasm in Germany and the UK | −8 points |
Sources:
– Global Attitudes on AI 2026 | Ipsos
– AI: Key Insights, Data and Tables | Ipsos
