Emarketer Has Revised Generative AI Growth Projections

New data indicates that U.S. generative AI usage has grown to 161.5 million monthly users in 2026.

Updated on Oct. 13, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence

Isometric editorial illustration showing a rising structure of stacked rectangular blocks, representing growth in generative AI usage. — Revised projections from Emarketer show that generative AI usage in the U.S. has reached 161.5 million monthly users in 2026. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you plan to rely more on AI tools for your web searches this year?

Revised projections from Emarketer show that 55.1% of U.S. internet users are now leveraging generative AI tools in 2026. This updated figure surpasses the 152.9 million users estimated in March 2026.

Why it matters

Growth has been driven by product improvements and increased visibility through advertising, alongside a high-profile political dispute. Google is currently leveraging its massive traditional search market share to integrate these tools more broadly.

Generative AI reached 55.1% of U.S. internet users in 2026, up from 49.4% in 2025. In 2025, user reach stood at 32.3% for ChatGPT, 20.9% for Gemini, 13.0% for Microsoft Copilot, 9.7% for Google AI Mode, and 3.0% for Perplexity.

The players

Emarketer

This market research firm provides insights and data-driven projections on digital media, marketing, and advertising trends.

Google

This multinational technology company specializes in internet-related services including search, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence.

OpenAI

This AI research and deployment company is the developer of the ChatGPT platform.

The details

The recent growth has been bolstered by significant advertising campaigns, including those surrounding the Super Bowl. While OpenAI remains a leader in adoption, projections suggest Google is positioned to overtake OpenAI in search market share by 2027 by integrating AI into its existing search infrastructure.

2025 marked the baseline year for initial generative AI usage statistics.
March 2026 saw the publication of the initial industry growth estimates.
2026 served as the year for current usage measurement at 161.5 million users.
2027 is the year Google is projected to surpass OpenAI in search market share.
2030 is the final target year for long-term usage projections.

The Tech Race

This development highlights the ongoing shift toward AI-integrated search as companies like Google challenge incumbent AI leaders. It marks a transition from early experimentation to mass-market adoption, fundamentally changing how users interact with legacy search engines.

Users can expect more integrated AI features within the search engines they already use, potentially simplifying information retrieval. These shifts may lead to increased availability of advanced tools as companies compete for market dominance through improved accessibility.

The takeaway

The rapid expansion of AI usage demonstrates a clear consumer preference for integrated, accessible tools over standalone platforms. As search technology evolves, users should anticipate that AI integration will become a standard feature across their primary digital search platforms.