AI & Online Communities Survey
This survey was conducted to learn more about how the ideologically-moderate white women in our audience feel about artificial intelligence (AI) and how often they interact with AI tools or come across AI-generated content. We also surveyed a broader group of moderate women about online communities.
A majority of our audience reports using AI chatbots for a variety of purposes, such as searching for information or for entertainment. While they feel relatively confident in their ability to use AI chatbots, they do not feel particularly confident identifying AI-generated content online. They also report being concerned about the potential for AI to spread misinformation, and feel AI will have both positive and negative effects on both themselves and the next generation.
AI Use Among Moderate Women
The majority (71%) of ideologically-moderate white women surveyed use AI chatbots; however, most do not report frequent use. In February of 2026, when Pew Research Center surveyed a panel of U.S. adults, just over half (51%) of respondents said they do not use AI chatbots. However, in that sample, a third (33%) of people who do use AI chatbots said they use them several times a day or more (25% “several times a day;” 8% “almost constantly”). In comparison, only 19% of the moderate women in this survey who use chatbots said they use them several times a day or more.
So, compared to the general population, more women in our audience use AI chatbots in general, but they are using them far less frequently than the average chatbot user.
Chatbot Use & Frequency
Results below compare results from the Pew Research Center report to our findings:
Chatbot use
| Pew Research Center Findings | Galvanize Action Audience | |
| Yes | 49% | 71% |
| No | 51% | 29% |
Frequency of chatbot use
| Pew Research Center Findings | Galvanize Action Audience | |
| Almost constantly | 8% | 6% |
| Several times a day | 25% | 13% |
| About once a day | 16% | 17% |
| Several times a week | 20% | 33% |
| Less often | 31% | 32% |
Among respondents who do use AI chatbots, the majority (78%) report feeling at least somewhat confident in their ability to use them.
Among respondents who use AI chatbots, the majority report using them to search for information (91%) and for fun or entertainment (61%). Just under half (47%) say they use AI chatbots to get news, to create or edit images or videos (47%), and to get medical advice (46%).
| Pew Research Center Findings | Galvanize Action Audience | |
| Not at all confident | 3% | 5% |
| Not too confident | 13% | 19% |
| Somewhat confident | 46% | 46% |
| Very confident | 26% | 23% |
| Extremely confident | 11% | 9% |
| Pew Research Center Findings | Galvanize Action Audience | |||
| Yes | No | Yes | No | |
| To search for information | 86% | 14% | 91% | 9% |
| For fun or entertainment | 51% | 49% | 61% | 39% |
| To get news | 27% | 72% | 47% | 53% |
| To create or edit images or videos | 48% | 51% | 47% | 53% |
| To get medical advice | 42% | 58% | 46% | 54% |
| For tasks at work | 63% | 37% | 40% | 60% |
| To get diet and fitness information | 40% | 60% | 39% | 61% |
| For emotional support or advice | 20% | 80% | 26% | 74% |
| For companionship | 8% | 92% | 16% | 84% |
Among respondents who do not use AI chatbots, the biggest reason they report is that they are just not interested. Other major reasons include concern about how their personal information will be used as well as distrust in the AI’s ability to provide accurate information. Not knowing how to use them may be a minor reason for some, but it is not as much of a factor as the other reasons. Additionally, fear of judgment for using chatbots is not a reason for the majority of these respondents.
| Pew Research Center Findings | Galvanize Action Audience | |||||
| Major reason | Minor reason | Not a reason | Major reason | Minor reason | Not a reason | |
| I’m not interested in using them | 60% | 23% | 16% | 74% | 20% | 6% |
| I’m concerned about how my personal information will be used | 54% | 24% | 20% | 68% | 21% | 11% |
| I don’t trust them to give accurate information | 45% | 30% | 23% | 56% | 32% | 12% |
| I don’t know how to use them | 29% | 26% | 44% | 14% | 35% | 51% |
| I think others will judge me for using them | 3% | 11% | 85% | 5% | 8% | 87% |
Women in our audience report not feeling very confident in their ability to identify whether pictures, video, and text were created by people or by AI. A plurality (39%) say they feel somewhat confident, and 42% are not confident (33% not too confident; 9% not at all confident).
| Pew Research Center Findings | Galvanize Action Audience | |
| Extremely confident | 11% | 6% |
| Very confident | 26% | 14% |
| Somewhat confident | 46% | 39% |
| Not too confident | 13% | 33% |
| Not at all confident | 3% | 9% |
When asked how frequently they see AI-generated content online, the women in our sample report most frequently seeing images, videos, and ads. These responses only reflect the AI-generated content that women are able to identify, so it’s possible that they are seeing AI-generated content online even more frequently than they are aware.
The majority of respondents indicate concern about the potential for AI to spread misinformation online, with 60% saying they feel extremely concerned or very concerned, and an additional 31% saying they feel somewhat concerned.
A plurality of women surveyed believe that AI will have both positive and negative effects on the next generation, and more respondents think the effects will be mostly negative than mostly positive. The same is true for the impact of AI on the respondents personally.
Impact on the next generation
Impact on the respondent personally
Online Communities
In addition to asking about AI, this survey included some questions about online communities. These responses include the primary sample (moderate white women, sample size = 558) as well as two additional samples: moderate Latina women (sample size = 261); and moderate Black women (sample size = 202). A majority of women across all three samples report feeling like they belong to an online community.
QUESTIONNAIRE
QUESTION #1 | CHATBOT USE FREQUENCY
How often, if at all, do you use artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, or Claude?
| Full sample | |
| Uses chatbots | 71% |
| Does not use chatbots | 29% |
| Users only | |
| Almost constantly | 6% |
| Several times a day | 13% |
| About once a day | 17% |
| Several times a week | 33% |
| Less often | 32% |
| Full sample | |
| Almost constantly | 4% |
| Several times a day | 9% |
| About once a day | 12% |
| Several times a week | 24% |
| Less often | 22% |
| I do not use AI chatbots | 29% |
QUESTION #2 | CHATBOT USE CONFIDENCE
How confident are you in your ability to use AI chatbots?
| Users only | |
| Not at all confident | 5% |
| Not too confident | 19% |
| Somewhat confident | 46% |
| Very confident | 23% |
| Extremely confident | 9% |
QUESTION #3 | REASONS FOR USING CHATBOTS
Do you ever use artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots for the following?
| Users only | ||
| Yes, I do | No, I do not | |
| To search for information | 91% | 9% |
| For fun or entertainment | 61% | 39% |
| To get news | 47% | 53% |
| To create or edit images or videos | 47% | 53% |
| To get medical advice | 46% | 54% |
| For tasks at work | 40% | 60% |
| To get diet and fitness information | 39% | 61% |
| For emotional support or advice | 26% | 74% |
| For companionship | 16% | 84% |
QUESTION #4 | REASONS FOR NOT USING CHATBOTS
How much is each of the following a reason why you do not use AI chatbots?
| Non-users only | |||
| Major reason | Minor reason | Not a reason | |
| I’m not interested in using them | 74% | 20% | 6% |
| I’m concerned about how my personal information will be used | 68% | 21% | 11% |
| I don’t trust them to give accurate information | 56% | 32% | 12% |
| I don’t know how to use them | 14% | 35% | 51% |
| I think others will judge me for using them | 5% | 8% | 87% |
QUESTION #5 | CONFIDENCE IN DETECTING AI-GENERATED CONTENT
When it comes to pictures, video and text, how confident are you that you would be able to tell if these things were made by artificial intelligence (AI) or made by people?
| Not at all confident | 9% |
| Not too confident | 33% |
| Somewhat confident | 39% |
| Very confident | 14% |
| Extremely confident | 6% |
QUESTION #6 | FREQUENCY SEEING AI-GENERATED CONTENT ONLINE
While online, how often do you see AI-generated content of the following types?
| Never | Rarely | Sometimes | Often | Very often | |
| Images | 3% | 8% | 34% | 36% | 18% |
| Videos | 6% | 13% | 37% | 30% | 14% |
| Advertisements | 6% | 12% | 41% | 29% | 12% |
| Text-based social media posts | 10% | 17% | 41% | 25% | 7% |
| Written articles or blog posts | 11% | 20% | 45% | 16% | 6% |
QUESTION #7 | CONCERNS ABOUT MISINFORMATION
How concerned are you, if at all, about the potential for AI being used to spread misinformation online?
| Not at all concerned | 2% |
| Not too concerned | 7% |
| Somewhat concerned | 31% |
| Very concerned | 31% |
| Extremely concerned | 29% |
QUESTION #8 | IMPACT OF AI ON NEXT GENERATION AND SELF
Do you think that the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on [the next generation / you, personally] over the next 20 years will be…
| The next generation | You, personally | |
| Very positive | 5% | 6% |
| Somewhat positive | 12% | 15% |
| Equally positive and negative | 37% | 38% |
| Somewhat negative | 20% | 20% |
| Very negative | 22% | 10% |
| Not sure | 4% | 10% |
Methodology
- Audience: Ideologically-Moderate US White Women
- Sample size: 558
- Dates in field: July 1, 2026
