How AI is becoming an invisible part of everyday life
India has emerged as the largest market for generative AI on the web, accounting for an estimated 13 billion visits between January and June this year.
Writing code, generating videos and images, stock analysis, deep research, filmmaking, and even serving as virtual companions — AI tools are rapidly becoming embedded in everyday life. On average, the world’s nearly eight billion people spent about two hours using generative AI tools in the first six months of 2025. That average is expected to rise to four hours in the first half of 2026, according to a recent Sensor Tower report.
The report estimates that total sessions with AI tools will reach 965 billion in the first half of 2026. This is more than 12 times the level recorded in the same period two years earlier and over 100 times that of the first half of 2023. The speed of AI adoption shows no signs of slowing down.
India has emerged as the largest market for generative AI on the web, accounting for an estimated 13 billion visits between January and June this year. This has prompted several leading players to introduce India-specific offerings. The United States ranks second with more than eight billion visits. South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Argentina are also experiencing rapid growth in AI adoption.
PAID SUBSCRIPTIONS UP
The growing adoption of AI is not confined to free or experimental offerings. Users are increasingly paying for premium services, underscoring the value they see in these tools. In the US, more than 13 per cent of Claude users are on paid plans. Perplexity follows, with nearly one in 10 users subscribing to a premium service. ChatGPT's paid users account for about eight per cent of its total user base.
According to the report, Claude’s average revenue per user has risen sharply since September. Other players have experienced a similar trend. The report also highlights the stickiness of these platforms. ChatGPT users, on average, visited the service on 14 days each month. Gemini, Claude, and DeepSeek likewise saw significant increases in user engagement.
CHATGPT’s RAPID ASCENT
The data underscore ChatGPT’s continued dominance in the generative AI market. Its monthly unique user base crossed one billion in May, making it the fastest to reach that milestone, outpacing YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook Messenger.
Google Gemini is in second position, with 662 million monthly unique users in May. Claude, Grok, Perplexity, and DeepSeek also rank among the leading generative AI platforms by monthly unique users.
Writing code, generating videos and images, stock analysis, deep research, filmmaking, and even serving as virtual companions — AI tools are rapidly becoming embedded in everyday life. On average, the world’s nearly eight billion people spent about two hours using generative AI tools in the first six months of 2025. That average is expected to rise to four hours in the first half of 2026, according to a recent Sensor Tower report.
The report estimates that total sessions with AI tools will reach 965 billion in the first half of 2026. This is more than 12 times the level recorded in the same period two years earlier and over 100 times that of the first half of 2023. The speed of AI adoption shows no signs of slowing down.
India has emerged as the largest market for generative AI on the web, accounting for an estimated 13 billion visits between January and June this year. This has prompted several leading players to introduce India-specific offerings. The United States ranks second with more than eight billion visits. South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Argentina are also experiencing rapid growth in AI adoption.
PAID SUBSCRIPTIONS UP
The growing adoption of AI is not confined to free or experimental offerings. Users are increasingly paying for premium services, underscoring the value they see in these tools. In the US, more than 13 per cent of Claude users are on paid plans. Perplexity follows, with nearly one in 10 users subscribing to a premium service. ChatGPT's paid users account for about eight per cent of its total user base.
According to the report, Claude’s average revenue per user has risen sharply since September. Other players have experienced a similar trend. The report also highlights the stickiness of these platforms. ChatGPT users, on average, visited the service on 14 days each month. Gemini, Claude, and DeepSeek likewise saw significant increases in user engagement.
CHATGPT’s RAPID ASCENT
The data underscore ChatGPT’s continued dominance in the generative AI market. Its monthly unique user base crossed one billion in May, making it the fastest to reach that milestone, outpacing YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook Messenger.
Google Gemini is in second position, with 662 million monthly unique users in May. Claude, Grok, Perplexity, and DeepSeek also rank among the leading generative AI platforms by monthly unique users.
