More than one billion people now use standalone generative AI tools every month, as AI app downloads peak, according to research from Meltwater.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT recorded 800 million weekly users alone in early October 2025, just three years after the AI chatbot’s seminal launch. The large language model tool is one of the fastest growing applications the world has ever seen, as other AI tools also expand their user base.

Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini have also seen their users skyrocket, as well as xAI’s Grok and other chatbots.

ChatGPT’s 800 million weekly users is up from around 250 million weekly users just last year, pulling ahead of X’s total weekly users, which hovers around 586 million according to Statista figures.

The popularity of AI tools is transforming people’s internet habits, Metlwater’s Digital 2026 report found, as uses of traditional search engines slumped.

The report also revealed various trends in the way people interact with the internet: social media users now outnumber non-users two to one, with 5.66 billion people using social media globally. This is an increase of 4.8% over the past year, with 259 million  new user identities.

Social media is also climbing the ranks in people’s attention, as the typical internet user snow spends 2.5 hours per day on social or video platforms. YouTube is the most popular, followed by TikTok, when it comes to daily active users.

However, the main reason people are now turning to social media platforms is to fill spare time, though most still claim to use social platforms to keep in touch with friends and family.

Social media is filing in yet another purpose, however, as it is the dominant channel for young consumers to discover brands.

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As the digital space continues to take up more of our time, attention, and energy, it is no surprise that the research found that digital advertisement spend is set to skyrocket. Digital channels account for nearly three quarters (74.4%) of total advertising spend in 2025, with social media advertising projected to experience a rise of 13.6% year-on-year.

“We’re seeing a profound shift in how people discover brands, with more people turning to social media and AI platforms than ever before,” Alexandra Bjertnæs, Chief Strategy Officer at Meltwater, said.

“Among younger audiences, social media ads now carry more weight than traditional search in shaping awareness and perception, while the rise of GenAI, now used by more than a billion people each month, is transforming how people find and trust information. For marketers and communicators, this is an exciting opportunity to build strategies that connect with audiences in new ways and meet them where they are today.”