AI adoption far outpaces that of the early Internet — report sheds light on worldwide AI penetration and usage patterns

A report by the Financial Times reveals that AI adoption is surpassing that of the early Internet, with notable growth and shifts in usage patterns. OpenAI's ChatGPT has seen rapid adoption, reaching close to 800 million users in just three years. Work-focused AI tools like Google's AI overviews and writing helpers in Google Docs are widely used, with Google reporting 2 billion monthly users for its AI overviews. The report also highlights the rise of 'shadow AI' in companies, where employees use AI tools without official approval, often due to stalled deployment initiatives. Additionally, there are concerns about over-reliance on AI tools potentially leading to diminished reasoning skills, as seen in research comparing AI-assisted writing to traditional methods.