~30%
StatAI
Nearly a third of US adults have already earned money with AI
48% of AI users - roughly 30% of all US adults - have earned money with AI, led by content creation (22%) and freelancing (18%). The generational gap is stark: 62% of Gen Z AI users have monetised AI versus 15% of Boomers.
Source
Menlo Ventures, 2026: The State of Consumer AI (with Morning Consult, n=5,067) (2026)
Shawn Carolan, Amy Wu Martin, Sam Borja (Menlo Ventures)
Menlo Ventures x Morning Consult survey, Jul 2026 (n=5,067)
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StatConsumer AI spending tripled to USD 40 billion while users grew just 11%StatPaying for AI flipped from 3% of users to 55% in one yearStatThe top 14% of AI spenders account for 60% of all consumer AI spendStatA quarter of Americans use AI daily; intensity is growing faster than adoptionStatDaily AI assistant use beats ride-sharing and food delivery combinedStatThe average AI user now runs three assistants side by sideStatA third of agent users have let AI act without final approvalStat92% of AI agent users pay for AI - agents are the monetisation frontierStatAccuracy and trust now beat ease of use in choosing AI toolsStatDistrust of AI-generated information among non-users rose from 58% to 70%WarningKnown AI-generated content carries a 2-to-1 engagement penaltyStatFor medical, legal and mental-health advice, humans beat AI three to one
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