Teens are net positive across every category; ages 18–24 are net negative and lead in lapsed use at 19%.
For platforms and studios, the strategic priority is shifting from production savings to trust, rights and disclosure.
The mainstreaming of GenAI does not automatically translate into demand for AI-made content. More than half of U.S. consumers report regular or occasional use, yet engagement falls when books, news, music or video are known to involve AI.
The sharpest warning comes from ages 18–24: they are experienced users, but they have the highest lapsed-use rate and are net negative toward AI-assisted media in every category measured.
Jung Han
AI use is mainstream—but ages 18–24 lead in defection
In Luminate’s U.S. Entertainment 365 survey, 22% of respondents used GenAI regularly and 30% used it occasionally. The technology has moved beyond early adopters into everyday search, writing and media creation.
Among ages 13–17, 33% reported regular use and 36% occasional use. The oldest cohort stood at 8% and 29%, respectively. The most consequential group, however, is ages 18–24: 19% said they had tried GenAI but no longer used it, the highest lapsed-use rate of any age group.
This makes it difficult to explain young-adult skepticism as unfamiliarity. The data point instead to a post-trial challenge: product sameness, inconsistent quality, concerns about labor and copyright, or fatigue from AI saturation may matter. The survey does not establish the cause, so retention, lapse and reasons for lapse should become core industry metrics.
Figure 1. GenAI awareness and use status by age
Table 1. Key GenAI use-status indicators
Source: Luminate U.S. Entertainment 365, Wave 17, U.S. ages 13+, N=2,000. Sums use displayed values and may reflect rounding.
The 58-point fault line between teens and young adults
Net interest—share more interested minus share less interested—splits sharply by age. Ages 13–17 are positive for AI-scripted film and TV (+32), AI-produced music (+19), video games containing AI assets (+31), and AI-made social media imagery or video (+29).
Ages 18–24 move in the opposite direction: film and TV –26, music –29, games –10, and social media –29. The gap between the two cohorts reaches 58 percentage points in film and TV and in social media.
Treating ages 13–24 as one digitally native segment can therefore reverse a demand forecast. Interactive experimentation may work for teens; young adults may first require proof of human authorship, lawful data use and creator compensation.
Figure 2. Net interest in AI-assisted content by age
Table 2. Net interest in AI-assisted content
Note: Net interest = more interested minus less interested. Source: Luminate U.S. Entertainment 365, Wave 17.
Books at 71%, news at 65%: consumers defect when AI touches authorship
Bain’s May 2025 survey shows the highest negative response in books: 71% would not engage or would be less likely to engage. News and magazines follow at 65%, music at 62%, social media at 61%, audio at 60%, and video at 59%.
Text and dialogue-based media expose AI to the strongest expectations of authorship, factual responsibility and authentic voice. By contrast, video games have the lowest negative share at 40%, the largest neutral share at 44%, and the largest positive share at 16%. AI may be easier to accept when it expands an experience—dynamic dialogue, personalization and world generation—rather than replacing the perceived author.