Consumers and AI: Why the Media Connection Is More Important Than Ever

If you haven’t started thinking about AI platforms as media, it’s time to start.

Here’s why:

1. Consumer awareness of major AI platforms is now at critical mass. More than half of US adults have heard of ChatGPT, and 4 in 10 are aware of Gemini, according to new data from Insights Exchange’s 2025 US Consumer Trends survey.

2. Nearly 4 in 10 US consumers are using AI tools for search at least weekly, according to HigherVisibility’s January 2025 survey of US consumers ages 18-76.

3. The most common reason to use generative AI isn’t for school or work. It’s to have fun. Two-thirds of US adults who use generative AI at least three times per month say they do so for personal reasons or to have fun, according to Insights Exchange’s study.

4. AI platforms like ChatGPT are powerful touchpoints affecting decisions across all stages of the consumer journey. These platforms can introduce people to new products or services, provide information to guide consideration and decisionmaking and then make it easy to purchase either directly on the platform or via direct links to ecommerce platforms like Amazon.

5. A growing number of AI platforms are now selling advertising. These include Perplexity, Amazon’s Rufus and Copilot.

In my new presentation “Consumers and AI: Why the Media Connection is More Important Than Ever,” I unpack why AI is creating a powerful — and irreversible — transformation in the consumer journey. Using case studies and fresh data, I weave a picture showing how consumer shopping journeys are changing, why AI platforms are poised to become the next important ad medium, and why the next big wave —agentic advertising — will create even more impactful changes in ads, media and the concept of “audience.”

Get the data and insights you need and be a leader in the consumer AI revolution. Contact me to schedule a virtual or in-person session!