Who’s Using AI-Based Text Generators and for What?

 In Business

Given the recent buzz in the media related to AI-based text generators like ChatGPT, we are curious who is using them and how are they being used. For clarity, AI-based text generators use artificial intelligence to summarize data and provide answers quickly and efficiently. They use natural language processing (NLP) and natural language generation (NLG) to provide text in response to human questions or specifications. While ChatGPT is getting the most buzz in media, there are a number of AI text generators available including Frase, Copysmith, Google BART, Hypotenuse AI, and Perplexity AI (some of which make use of ChatGPT technology).

We surveyed more than 3,000 U.S. adults in February 2023 to find out who is aware of AI-based text generators, who is using them, and why. In sum, there’s a good deal of awareness but little true familiarity or usage.

AI-Based text generators have amassed considerable awareness in a relatively short period of time.

Thirty-eight percent of Americans are aware of these tools. As a point of comparison that’s about half the people who are aware of Virtual Reality or Cryptocurrency.

Despite the solid awareness, a much smaller set of adults (13%) consider themselves to be “Familiar” with AI-Based Text Generators vs. simply being “Aware.”

A minority of U.S. adults plan to use AI-based text generators.

About 13% of Americans said they are open to and likely to use AI-based text generators. To put that in context, this is roughly the same proportion as those who are likely to use cryptocurrency, based on data from the same survey.

When it comes to actual usage that has already occurred, an incredibly small part of the population has already used AI-based text generators and some of that usage is simply out of curiosity.

Of the population, only 6% have used an AI-based text generator (that’s 16% of those who are aware). Of those, 55% have used one for personal use only, 8% for professional use only, and 37% for both.

At this stage in the life cycle of the technology, a healthy dose of the personal usage is for playful reasons. About 29% used it to satisfy their curiosity and to see what AI-based text generators can do. Another 17% admitted they used one for fun. However, 27% said they used one to search for something or to learn something.

Among people using an AI-based text generator for business purposes, 34% used one to search for or learn something. 21% used one to write something and 19% used one for software coding. However, business users have also used AI out of curiosity to see what it could do (11%) or just for fun (11%).

The demographic trends in the data were unsurprising for a tech-focused product.

The data showed unsurprising slight skews in all parts of the funnel toward younger consumers (under age 55) vs. 55+, college-educated vs. non, and West Coast vs. other parts of the country. These are unsurprising in that these demographics often include early tech adopters.

Will AI text generators change the world?

Based on this survey – and the early state of the technology – there is no way of knowing the impact AI-based text generators will have on businesses and individuals in the future. However, based on the amount of investment being made in the technology, it’s a good guess that those in the industry are betting that their impact will be significant! We also believe that the awareness and usage will grow steadily and shift toward practical vs. lighthearted uses.

Full disclosure: part of this blog was written using an AI-based text generator. Can you tell which part?

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