ChatGPT Hit One-Third of U.S. Adults in 2.5 Years—Faster Than Smartphones

ChatGPT reached one-third of American adults in roughly 2.5 years, outpacing smartphone adoption by a factor of two. The iPhone took six years to achieve similar penetration; broadband adoption was slower still. Younger adults have embraced it faster—58 percent of those under 30 use chatbots, and adoption among all adults under 50 now sits near 63 percent. The speed reflects both mature digital infrastructure and the immediate utility of AI-native applications.