AI chatbots are rarely used as a daily news source
Core finding
AI chatbots are the one online news channel that has not caught on. 61% of U.S. adults never get news from chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini, and just 4% often do.
The established channels reach near-identical audiences. News websites or apps (76%), search engines (75%) and social media (75%) each reach about three-quarters of adults at least sometimes.
Chatbot news use is rare
On their smartphones, computers and tablets, 61% of U.S. adults never get news from AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini, and another 20% rarely do, a combined 81%.
Just 4% often get news from a chatbot, and 15% sometimes do. Adults 65 and older are the most likely to have skipped chatbots entirely, with 67% saying never, compared with 56% of adults 30 to 49.
Topline
61% of U.S. adults never get news from AI chatbots, compared with 8% who never get news from news websites or apps.
n = 1,690 · Jun 18–19, 2026 · MoE ±2.8%
Stacked breakdown
Just 4% of U.S. adults often get news from AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini; 61% never do.
n = 1,690 · Jun 18–19, 2026 · MoE ±2.8%
Websites, search and social media dominate
About three-quarters of adults at least sometimes get news from news websites or apps (76%, combining 37% often and 39% sometimes), through Google or other search engines (75%, combining 29% often and 46% sometimes) and from social media (75%, combining 41% often and 34% sometimes).
Social media is the most frequent habit of the three: 41% often get news there, including 56% of adults under 30. News websites or apps skew the other way, with 47% of adults 65 and older often using them, versus 27% of adults under 30.
Podcasts and newsletters also trail
Podcasts reach a limited news audience: 11% of adults often get news from them, while 66% rarely (24%) or never (42%) do.
Email newsletters look similar. About one in ten adults (11%) often get news from them, while 36% never do and another 27% rarely do.
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | Jun 18–19, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,690 |
| Margin of error | ±2.8% |
| Module | AI Regulation |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/june-2026-ai-survey
Now thinking about the news you get on a smartphone, computer, or tablet, how often do you get news from… - AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini
Cite this topic
What do Americans from both parties agree on? AI Regulation, fielded June 18-19, 2026, N=1,690 US adults age 18+, +/- 2.8%.