AI adoption has skyrocketed over the past years as businesses and individuals increasingly integrate AI-powered tools into everyday life. In 2020, less than 116 million people used AI daily, a figure that nearly tripled to 314 million last year. But the momentum is far from slowing down, with projections showing tens of millions of new users embracing AI this year.
According to data presented by AltIndex.com, global AI adoption is expected to jump by another 20% and hit 378 million users in 2025.
Nearly 65 Million New Users in 2025 Alone, the Highest Annual Increase Yet
In just five years, artificial intelligence has transformed from a futuristic concept into a mainstream technology revolutionizing industries and changing daily life. From healthcare and retail to manufacturing, stock trading, and social media, companies increasingly turn to AI to enhance efficiency, decision-making, and user experience. As AI technology becomes an essential tool, its user base is reaching record highs.
Just five years ago, the global AI market counted roughly 116 million users, according to a Statista Market Insights survey. By the end of 2021, this number jumped to 154.3 million, marking a substantial 38.4 million increase in just a year. But that was only the beginning. Statistics show the AI market added 47.1 million users in 2022 and another 53.4 million a year later. In 2024, AI adoption skyrocketed again, with a record 59.6 million new users, bringing the total to 314.4 million. But this impressive growth is set to increase even further.
Statista expects the market to add 64.4 million new users in 2025, the highest single-year increase ever recorded, pushing global AI adoption to an impressive 378.8 million users. And this is just the beginning. The AI landscape is expected to welcome 73 million new users in 2026 and an all-time high of 78 million in 2027 before the growth rate slows down. Still, the market will continue adding between 55 million and 76 million new users annually, with the total AI user base reaching 730 million by the decade’s end.
One-third of New Users in 2025 Will Be from the United States
Although the surging demand for automation and the increasing presence of AI in consumer applications have fuelled AI adoption globally, most AI users still come from only a few countries, with the United States leading the pack.
The Statista survey showed that Americans will account for one-third of all new AI users in 2025, over 21 million, bringing the total number of AI users in the United States to 133 million. To put this into perspective, that is 50 million more than the combined total in China, Germany, and Japan, the next three largest AI markets. Furthermore, market projections show over 107 million Americans will adopt AI tools by the end of a decade, pushing the US AI user base to a staggering 241.5 million.
In comparison, China’s AI market is expected to add 6.6 million new users in 2025 and another 38 million by 2030, four times less than the United States, bringing its total user base to 75 million. Garmany follows with a projected 4.7 million increase in 2025 and 24.6 million by 2030, reaching a total of 52.5 million AI users by the end of the decade.
