Today, we cross the pond to gain a better understanding of how American consumers have navigated the first half of the year and to identify which trends stem from their opinions and behaviors in key areas such as the economy and the adoption of AI.
For this analysis, we will rely on insights revealed in the “Consumer Trends 2025: Mid-Year Report”, prepared by TheNewConsumer and Coefficient Capital, based on a survey conducted in July 2025 among more than 3,000 individuals in the United States.
The study affirms that Americans have experienced a turbulent start to the year, characterized by major events such as the “Liberation Day”, when Trump introduced his new tariffs. In fact, this day caused greater volatility in the U.S. economy than the September 11, 2001 attacks.
With regard to public opinion in the United States, the majority believe that these tariffs will cause prices to rise for imported everyday consumer goods. Furthermore, 58% expect to pay more for products “made in the U.S.” compared to similar imported products.
Additionally, when asked about the most important issues facing the United States at this time, rising prices and inflation take the top spot, being mentioned by 35% of Democrats and 40% of Republicans, demonstrating a broad consensus between the two ideologies on this matter.
Nevertheless, the market remains resilient, as despite the uncertainty (tariffs, inflation, geopolitical outlook, wildfires, and natural disasters), consumer spending in the United States continues to grow.
Source: Consumer Trends 2025: Mid-Year Report
The report uses the example of Prime Day 2025 to illustrate this point. During Amazon’s major shopping event, held July 8–11, online spending at U.S. retailers reached 24 billion dollars. This represents 30% growth compared to the previous year, and the amount spent is equivalent to more than two Black Fridays.
When we shift purchases into the realm of AI, we can observe that there is a certain level of interest among American consumers in AI-powered shopping tools, but this interest is not yet considerable at present.
Moreover, the study indicates that while younger individuals (Generation Z and Millennials) are more inclined to use AI for their purchases, older generations (Generation X and above) are skeptical of this technology, and 48% would not use it for this purpose.
If we consider these generations’ opinions on the use of AI for assistance in specific sectors, we find that Generation Z and Millennials trust this technology to help them decide on purchasing supplements/vitamins (20%), beauty products (20%), and to plan vacations (25%). In contrast, members of Generation X and older are more cautious: supplements/vitamins (9%), beauty (10%), and vacations (13%).
With respect to general perception and awareness of AI, 98% of Americans report having heard of AI. Interestingly, the study notes that AI is already more widely recognized by the general public than Doritos, TikTok, Viagra, Ozempic, or MrBeast.
Segmenting responses by generation, we discover that 61% of respondents belonging to Generation Z state they are “very” or “extremely” familiar with AI. Familiarity with AI decreases as age increases: Millennials (52%), Generation X (31%), and Boomers (10%).
The feelings generated by this technology also vary substantially depending on age. For members of Gen Z and Millennials, AI makes them feel hopeful (35%), excited (34%), happy (30%), and concerned (26%). By contrast, members of Gen X and Boomers report feeling primarily concerned (45%), hopeful (31%), afraid (19%), and excited (18%).
When it comes to the most well-known AI, none surpasses ChatGPT, with 74% of Americans having heard of it (compared to 37% two years ago). More than 60% of Generation Z report having used ChatGPT in the past month, and nearly two-thirds of students say they have used it.
Following ChatGPT are Meta AI (65%), Google Gemini (57%), Microsoft Copilot (46%), and Google AI Overview (41%). Notably, this chart may not please Elon Musk, as his AI Grok ranks ninth, being recognized by only 16% of Americans.
On the other hand, only 7% of those surveyed stated that they did not recognize any of the AIs listed. When compared to 37% two years ago, this represents a remarkable leap and highlights the powerful emergence of AI tools in our lives.
The report reveals that consumer spending on ChatGPT has grown substantially, in fact, it has even doubled.
Indeed, OpenAI accounts for approximately two-thirds of consumer spending on AI across 70 companies in the sector. Midjourney and Anthropic are also relevant players, though they do not command the same share of the market.
When survey participants were asked about their preferences regarding payment for AI use, 55% indicated that they would use these tools only if they were free of charge. However, among those willing to invest, preferences for payment vary.
On average, 22% of respondents who plan to use AI to write, plan trips, edit photos, etc., during the coming year favor a general AI subscription of around $20 per month. Conversely, 19% prefer to pay for a specialized tool for each task. Furthermore, 31% are willing to pay still more for specific, high-value tasks such as contract or legal document drafting.
Despite some reluctance among portions of the U.S. population to use AI for purchases, or the concerns it may raise, it is a fact that this technology is already serving as support for multiple tasks. Nevertheless, those who turn to it most are Gen Z and Millennials (approximately double the usage rates of Gen X and Boomers).
According to responses collected by the study, over the past 12 months, 37% of Americans used AI to research and seek information. Other leading activities include obtaining recipe ideas or planning meals (20%), composing emails or personal messages (20%), translating texts (19%), or generating and editing images, graphics, and videos (19%), among others.
With regard to the workplace, AI already occupies a prominent position as a support tool for a large proportion of Americans. 62% of Gen Z report having used AI tools at work over the past year, and the percentage is even higher among Millennials (64%). For Gen X, the percentage drops to 48%, and for Boomers to 32%.
The most common work-related activities for AI use in the U.S. include: research (48%), composing emails or memos (39%), acquiring new skills (36%), and note-taking or meeting summarization (35%).
The study also inquired about respondents’ degree of comfort interacting with AI in various roles. The percentage of positive responses, where individuals said they would feel “very” or “somewhat” comfortable, was higher among younger generations.
Among Gen Z and Millennials, 64% responded positively to the prospect of interacting with an AI customer service agent, compared to just 40% of Gen X and Boomers. These same percentages are reflected in interactions with AI shopping advisors. Regarding interacting with an AI friend, 47% of younger generations report being comfortable, as opposed to only 23% of older generations.
Finally, when it comes to health-related matters, Americans are more cautious. For an AI-based mental health therapist or counselor, 44% of Gen Z and Millennials would feel comfortable using one, compared to just 17% of Gen X and Boomers. When interacting with a medical advisor/nurse/doctor powered by AI, the percentages are 42% versus 22%.
Photo: Flux Schnell
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