New data published by the OECD shows more than one third of individuals used generative AI tools in 2025.
The OECD ICT Usage and Access Database breaks down the number of people using generative AI tools by age group and country, and shows that usage is particularly high among students, with three-quarters of students aged 16 and over using generative AI tools. Adoption is also widespread among those connected to the labour market, including people in employment (41.1 percent) and those unemployed (36.7 percent), although retired and other inactive groups report much lower usage, at 12.5 percent.
In conclusion, the OECD says AI use by individuals is surging, “highlighting how rapidly artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming part of everyday life”.
What the data on personal AI use shows
Although overall take up between different age groups is uneven, the acceleration of usage is higher among older groups.
Across countries with available data, the growth rate of generative AI use was highest among older adults (aged 55-74) between 2024 and 2025, although from low initial levels. OECD said this is a diverse group where some are still in the workforce while others are retired. To close the gaps in future, the OECD said “directed support” for those groups with lower adoption rates may be needed.
“Historically, previous technological shifts – such as diffusion of the internet – have often been introduced in the workplace with usage extending to personal contexts,” a spokesperson said in response to questions from CX Network. “A similar pattern may emerge with generative AI where older adults who are still in the workforce will encounter these tools through their occupations, while others outside the workforce may have fewer opportunities to interact with the technology. To narrow the age gaps in generative AI use over time, it is likely that directed support for older adults will be needed to increase AI literacy and allow all to benefit from this technology.”
Although the OECD does not have data on the specific AI tools used – and the current data does not explain the drivers of generative AI adoption – it is expected that the upward trend will continue in 2026, as technology awareness rises and firms and organizations expand their offerings, for example to become interfaces for more than content generation, through AI agents and agentic commerce.
“Most students across the OECD are using generative AI, which may contribute to normalization of AI use in professional settings further as they transition into the workforce. This can support further diffusion, but uptake and patterns of adoption will likely vary across sectors and countries,” the OECD statement read.
How AI-literate customers are changing CX
The use of generative AI to search for and buy products has grown in popularity over the last 24 months, so much so that tech companies such as OpenAI and Google now allow users to buy the products they search for without leaving the generative AI interface.
This drastically shifts the ownership of buying journeys, from retailers to tech companies. With further AI-assisted shopping now being rolled out in Google Search, it is expected widespread availability and familiarity with AI tools will drastically change discoverability, loyalty, customer service and the wider customer journeys.
Writing for CX Network, lecturer and AI and enterprise architect Anjali Jain, says: “Customers no longer move through a sequence of pages. They engage in a dialogue [with AI]. They describe constraints, preferences, and use cases. They ask follow-up questions and refine their decisions. The result feels more like a guided consultation than a search.”
CX Network Advisory Board member Joshua Curtis, who is customer care center manager at Super Retail Group, says that as a result of these developments discoverability will change in “a pretty fundamental way”.
“It’s no longer just about how well you rank in search or how strong your marketing is, it’s about how well your business actually holds together when an AI is assessing it on a customer’s behalf,” he explains. “As customers start using tools like ChatGPT or agentic commerce platforms to research, compare, or even transact, those tools aren’t just looking at brand or price. They’re picking up on things like delivery reliability, how easy returns are, customer sentiment, and how often customers need to contact you to fix something. In effect, AI starts judging brands on operational reality, not just brand promise. That’s a big shift,” he adds.
The widespread adoption of generative AI among individuals also indicates that machine customers could be about to make their mark on the wider business world. While features like “auto-replenish” are popular with many consumers, individuals are increasingly able to task widely available AI tools, such as AI assistants, with the “life admin” they do not want to spend time on, such as customer service contacts. As consultant Sue Duris writes for CX Network: “This isn't science fiction. It's happening now – and most brands have no idea how to handle it.”
AI adoption in the corporate world
The data shows that AI adoption by firms has also continued to expand across OECD countries. However, this uptake is currently concentrated in ICT firms and knowledge intensive industries. In 2025, 20 percent of firms reported using AI, up from 14 percent in 2024.
Growth in firm-level AI use reached 42 percent in 2025, although this represents “a moderation” compared to earlier years.
More key findings and related datasets can be accessed here.
Meanwhile, data from Salesforce last week claimed 69 percent of organizations in the UK have seen most or all of their teams and functions adopt AI agents. Salesforce said adoption has now reached "critical mass" and that agents are "no longer experimental". The majority (94 percent) of IT leaders told Salesforce their agents "already have improved or that they expect them to improve" employee experiences, and 94 percent believe they will free developers to focus on higher-value work.
Quick links
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