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The rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has been a hot topic in tech circles. But new research from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Vanderbilt University, and Harvard Kennedy School reveals the true extent of generative AI’s infiltration into everyday work life—and the results are eye-opening. According to the paper, The Rapid Adoption of Generative AI, the technology has taken hold faster than previous transformative technologies like the personal computer (PC) or the internet.
Here are five surprising takeaways from the study, which surveyed thousands of U.S. workers to gauge the adoption of generative AI at work and at home.
1. Generative AI is already more widely adopted than PCs were at this stage
Generative AI is spreading faster than anyone could have predicted. Just two years after the public release of ChatGPT, 39.4% of Americans aged 18-64 reported using generative AI, with 28% using it at work. To put that in perspective, it took three years for PCs to hit a 20% adoption rate.
“Generative AI has been adopted at a faster pace than PCs or the internet,” the researchers write. “This is driven by faster adoption of generative AI at home compared with the PC, likely because of differences in portability and cost.” The ease of access to tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini has played a crucial role in this faster uptake.
The data from the survey shows generative A.I. reaching nearly 40 percent adoption just two years after introduction, far outpacing the early adoption rates of PCs and the internet. (Credit: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis)
2. Generative AI is being used by everyone—not just tech workers
While you might expect generative AI to be used mostly by software developers or data scientists, the research shows that adoption is widespread across industries. In fact, one in five “blue-collar” workers—those in construction, installation, repair, and transportation—regularly use generative AI on the job.
“Generative AI adoption is most common in manag …