Survey: the chatbot gender adoption gap among US adults has closed since 2024, though men are more likely to use them daily; ChatGPT has identical use rates

Daily AI chatbot usage among men is now 7 percentage points higher than among women.

A 2026 Pew Research Center survey of 5,119 U.S. adults reveals that the gender gap in overall AI chatbot adoption has closed, with 49% of all adults reporting they use these tools. While men and women now use chatbots at similar rates, men are more likely to use them daily (27% vs. 20%) and for work-related tasks. Specific chatbot usage also shows gendered patterns, with men favoring Gemini, Copilot, and Grok, while ChatGPT sees identical adoption rates across genders. Men are also more inclined to believe that chatbots enhance productivity, creativity, and knowledge compared to women, who are slightly more likely to seek emotional support from these tools. The survey also noted that women are more likely to own smartwatches, while men are more likely to read AI-generated search summaries.

The closing of the overall gender adoption gap for AI chatbots, while a significant milestone, masks continued differences in usage frequency and preferred platforms. Men's higher daily engagement and greater propensity to use chatbots for work suggest a more integrated reliance on AI for productivity, potentially impacting professional development and skill acquisition differentially across genders. The parallel adoption rates for ChatGPT, a general-purpose tool, versus the observed gendered preferences for specialized chatbots like Gemini or Copilot, indicate that while a universal AI interface is accessible to all, deeper integration may be influenced by specific use cases and perceived utility, highlighting distinct paths of AI adoption.

These findings signal a market where AI chatbot developers may need to consider nuanced user needs beyond simple adoption rates. The differential use for work and daily tasks could lead to specialized AI tools or features that cater more specifically to male users' perceived productivity gains, potentially widening the gap in AI-assisted work efficiency. Conversely, the slightly higher reported use of chatbots for emotional support by women, coupled with their greater ownership of AI-enabled smartwatches, suggests opportunities for AI applications focused on well-being and personal assistance. Continued tracking of these evolving usage patterns will be crucial for understanding future market segmentation and product development in the AI space.