Who Knows Generative AI? A Look at Platform Familiarity Across Americans

Generative AI platforms have become a recognizable part of the technology landscape, but familiarity with individual platforms is far from uniform. Respondents were asked how familiar they were with several generative AI platforms using a five-point scale ranging from “not at all familiar” to “extremely familiar.” The figures below show the percentage selecting one of the top two responses: “very familiar” or “extremely familiar.” 

Across the results, ChatGPT consistently records the highest familiarity, though the size of its lead and the familiarity levels for other platforms vary considerably by demographic group. Gemini generally ranks second, while Copilot, Claude, and Grok register lower levels of familiarity.

Overall

Among respondents overall, 39% say they are very or extremely familiar with ChatGPT, making it the most familiar platform measured. Gemini follows at 34%, five percentage points behind ChatGPT. 

Familiarity falls further for the remaining platforms. Copilot is familiar to 23% of respondents, while Claude stands at 16% and Grok at 15%. Perplexity registers 13%, and Duet has the lowest overall familiarity at 9%. 

Gender

Men report higher familiarity than women with every platform included in the gender breakdown. The largest gender difference appears for Gemini, with 43% of men saying they are very or extremely familiar compared with 28% of women, a 15-point gap.

ChatGPT also shows a notable difference, at 45% among men and 35% among women. Familiarity with Copilot is twice as high among men as women, 32% versus 16%. Grok follows a similar pattern at 21% among men and 10% among women, while Claude stands at 22% and 12%, respectively.

Age

Age produces some of the largest differences in familiarity, particularly for ChatGPT. Among adults ages 18-24, 61% say they are very or extremely familiar with ChatGPT. That figure declines steadily across older groups, to 55% among ages 25-34, 47% among ages 35-44, 29% among ages 45-64, and 11% among those 65 and older. The gap between the youngest and oldest groups is 50 percentage points.

The other platforms generally show the same broad pattern, although familiarity often peaks among adults ages 25-34. Gemini stands at 41% among ages 18-24, rises to 44% among ages 25-34, and then declines to 41%, 31%, and 12% across the three older groups. Copilot reaches its highest level at 34% among ages 25-34, compared with 25% among ages 18-24 and just 9% among those 65 and older.

Grok familiarity peaks at 25% among ages 25-34 before falling to 18% among ages 35-44, 10% among ages 45-64, and 4% among those 65 and older. Claude follows nearly the same pattern, reaching 26% among ages 25-34 and declining to 20%, 11%, and 4% across successively older groups.

Income

Familiarity with generative AI platforms generally rises with household income. The strongest difference appears for ChatGPT, which increases from 31% among respondents earning under $20,000 to 53% among those earning $100,000 or more. The intermediate groups register 32% among those earning $20,000-$39,999, 40% among those earning $40,000-$59,999, and 46% among those earning $60,000-$99,999.

Gemini follows a similar progression, rising from 28% in the lowest income group to 43% in the highest. Copilot increases from 17% to 32% across the same income range. Grok ranges from 13% among those earning under $20,000 to 22% among those earning $100,000 or more, although it dips slightly to 12% among the $20,000-$39,999 group. Claude rises from 15% in the lowest income group to 24% in the highest, with familiarity at 12%, 15%, and 18% across the middle three categories.

Political Affiliation

ChatGPT has the highest familiarity across each political affiliation listed, although levels vary by group. Democrats report the highest familiarity at 43%, closely followed by Republicans at 42%. Familiarity falls to 35% among Independents and 28% among those identifying with another political affiliation.

Gemini shows a similar pattern, with 38% familiarity among Republicans and 37% among Democrats, compared with 30% among Independents and 21% among the Other group. Copilot reaches 26% among Republicans and 25% among Democrats, versus 18% among Independents and 13% among Other respondents.

Claude is tied at 19% among Republicans and Democrats, while Grok is somewhat higher among Republicans at 18% than Democrats at 15%. For both platforms, familiarity is lowest among the Other group, at 9% for Claude and 8% for Grok.

Region

Regional differences are comparatively modest. ChatGPT familiarity ranges from 36% in the Midwest to 41% in the West, with the Northeast at 39% and the South at 40%.

Gemini ranges from 30% in the Midwest to 36% in the West. Copilot is especially consistent across regions, registering 22% in both the Midwest and South, 23% in the Northeast, and 24% in the West. Grok varies by only one point, from 14% in the Midwest to 15% everywhere else. Claude ranges narrowly from 15% in the Midwest to 17% in both the Northeast and West.

Ethnicity

ChatGPT familiarity is highest among Asian or South Asian respondents at 55%, followed closely by Hispanic/Latino respondents at 53% and African-American respondents at 49%. Familiarity is lower among Caucasian respondents at 34% and those in the Other category at 30%.

Gemini shows a similar pattern, with 47% familiarity among Asian or South Asian respondents, 44% among African-American respondents, and 43% among Hispanic/Latino respondents, compared with 30% among Caucasian respondents and 25% among Other respondents.

Differences are somewhat smaller for the remaining platforms. Copilot familiarity ranges from 18% among Other respondents to 31% among African-American respondents. Claude reaches 26% among Asian or South Asian respondents and 24% among African-American respondents, compared with 20% among Hispanic/Latino respondents, 15% among Other respondents, and 13% among Caucasian respondents. Grok ranges from 13% among Caucasian respondents to 20% among African-American respondents.

Panel

The largest differences between panels appear for ChatGPT and Gemini. ChatGPT familiarity ranges from 26% in Panel L to 55% in Panel T, a 29-point spread. Panel T therefore stands well above Panels N and R, both at 40%, Panel S at 42%, and especially Panel L.

Gemini shows a 19-point range, from 23% in Panel L to 42% in Panel S, with Panel T at 40%, Panel R at 38%, and Panel N at 33%.

Differences are smaller for the remaining platforms. Copilot ranges from 15% in Panel L to 23% in Panels R and T, while Panel N and Panel S both stand at 21%. Grok varies more modestly, from 9% in Panel R to 19% in Panel N, with Panel T at 16%, Panel S at 14%, and Panel L at 12%. Claude ranges from 8% in Panel L to 16% in Panel N, with Panel T at 15%, Panel R at 12%, and Panel S at 11%.

Wrap Up

Generative AI may be becoming a bigger part of everyday life, but familiarity with these platforms is far from universal. ChatGPT leads across the board, yet the results show that familiarity can look very different depending on who you ask. Age and income stand out as some of the strongest factors, while gender and ethnicity also show noticeable differences. Political affiliation creates some variation, while regional differences are much smaller.

The panel results add another layer to the story. ChatGPT familiarity ranges from 26% in one panel to 55% in another, showing that the source of respondents can have a meaningful impact on how familiar a sample appears to be with generative AI.

As these platforms continue to become more common, understanding who is familiar with them, and who is not, will be increasingly important. Looking beyond the overall average can reveal meaningful differences that might otherwise be missed.