This post has been republished via RSS; it originally appeared at: Windows Blog.
In our consumer AI report, “From Burnout to Breakthrough,” shared in July 2025, we discovered that users who turned to AI for support in decision-making were finding a powerful emotion, relief. It helped them feel less overwhelmed and more supported—empowering them to be decisive and action-oriented in their personal lives. Since then, that initial relief persists and has evolved to also include something more proactive. Today, a growing group of users—what we’ve come to call “AI Enthusiasts”—are tapping into a renewed sense of motivation to integrate AI into their daily life, experiencing greater benefits as a result. Their momentum is widening a gap in ambition and confidence between those using AI and those still looking for where to begin. This follow-up report takes a closer look at what sets AI Enthusiasts apart and what others can learn from their example. As more people reap the benefits of AI for personal decisions, Microsoft remains committed to accessibility by innovating more ways for more people to interact with AI on their terms—from voice input to on-screen interaction integrated across apps, web and devices. The full report is available for download here.Across the ambition gap: How AI users are gaining more than answers
This consumer AI report examines evolving attitudes toward AI. It presents findings from research conducted by an independent research firm, Edelman Data & Intelligence, among 1,000 consumers in the United States aged 13 and older, between July 3, 2025, and July 22, 2025. As both AI tools and human behaviors continue to shift, the report offers a research-backed lens for business leaders, organizations and curious individuals seeking to understand what’s changing and why.“AI ENTHUSIASTS” DIFFERENTIATE THEMSELVES BY AMBITION
AI has long been introduced by its potential to be a great equalizer.
Intuitive. Accessible. Empowering for all. But in practice, usage reveals a different reality: those who use AI to make decisions are significantly more likely to describe themselves as ambitious and confident than those who don’t. In fact, these AI-supported decision-makers are now 30 percentage points (ppts) more likely to self-identify as ambitious, and 14ppts more likely to describe themselves as confident as compared to those who don’t use AI. This gap has widened since Microsoft released its initial consumer AI report “From Burnout to Breakthrough” in July 2025, reflecting more than just a difference in technology use—it signals a shift in how people perceive their potential and act on it.
The key to understanding (and closing) this gap lies not just in who uses AI, but how they use it.
Rather than risk being left behind, many are seeking ways to catch up to the progress they are seeing in others’ personal development, growth and digital readiness. The latest research shows a path forward—a clear profile emerging among highly engaged users, who report greater ambition, confidence and AI-driven benefits in all areas of life. Call them “AI Enthusiasts;” defined as people who either use AI to make decisions or treat AI as more than a tool or search engine. Their behavior offers a blueprint for what meaningful adoption looks like at this crucial turning point.AI ADVANCEMENTS CREATE NEW ENTRY POINTS
AI adoption continues to climb steadily, but not evenly.
While some user groups are advancing quickly, others still lag behind. The share of American consumers using generative AI in their personal lives outside of work at least once a week grew from 37% to 46% since the previous wave of research. This 24% AI adoption increase in three months outpaced the adoption rate of smartphones by 3x. Even at the height of adoption in 2012, U.S. smartphone penetration only grew about 8.5% over a comparable 3-month window (from 47% to 51%). This growth is largely being driven by younger generations: 58% of Gen Z and Millennials now use generative AI at least once a week (+10ppts). These findings reinforce wave 1 reporting that those born between 1995 and 2012, referred to as “Generation AI,” were 16ppts more likely to use AI solutions than older generations.Though tech-savvy AI Enthusiasts are pulling ahead, recent advancements make it easier for new users to engage.
From voice input to on-screen interaction, generative AI solutions across the industry are lowering the barrier to entry and expanding helpful use cases. Features like speaking in simple language instead of typing prompts, or allowing AI to interpret what’s on a user’s screen (with permission), reduce friction and open the door to more natural, everyday use. Over the past year, Microsoft has integrated these capabilities into the Copilot ecosystem, helping users interact more intuitively on their PC and within the familiar environments of their apps, web and devices.WITH TIME, USERS ARE UNLOCKING MOTIVATION—AND MORE
In wave 1, the most reported emotion experienced when using AI for decision-making was “relief.” Users felt the technology could ease decision-making and lighten their mental load. That relationship has since shifted, as they push off that foundation to adopt a more action-oriented posture. The most common emotions people report after using AI to make a decision are now “more informed and smarter” (41%) and “more confident in my decision” (39%). Notably, “motivated” has overtaken “relieved” as a more frequent response, rising by 7 percentage points since the first wave. These emotions reflect a growing sense of agency and direction among users.
This shift in mindset is being matched by tangible results. Younger audiences continue to lead in AI engagement, are increasingly seeing benefits in key areas of their lives.
Sixty-one percent of Gen Z and Millennials say AI has had a positive impact on their professional lives (+8ppts) and 64% report a positive effect on skills and learning (+7ppts). In fact, compared to older generations, younger users are more likely to say that every area of their lives has improved with AI.
As these benefits continue to build, momentum is driving curiosity. Nearly a third (31%) of those who rarely or never use AI are still optimistic that AI will improve their lives and the world they live in.
For those still on the margins of adoption, there’s a desire not to be left behind as the pace of AI steadily increases.
This also shapes how users view AI’s role in the future. Younger users are more likely to value AI tools that understand their long-term goals and help them work toward them, with 33% of Gen Z and Millennials saying this type of support would feel helpful, compared to just 21% of Gen X and older adults. As results compound over time, users begin to see AI as a trusted partner in personal progress. The most rewarding experiences are no longer just about solving for the moment; they are helping people move with intention toward what comes next.AI ENTHUSIASTS LEAN IN ON PERSONALIZATION AND TRANSPARENCY
To better understand where AI’s positive impact is coming from, it helps to examine what influences users’ comfort with these tools. As new features and functionalities transform the AI landscape, two themes stand out: personalization and transparency.Many users feel more comfortable with AI when it adapts to them over time.
Forty-four percent of all American consumers say they trust AI more when it remembers their preferences, as opposed to just 23% who prefer it to treat every interaction like a blank slate. This preference is even stronger among younger users, with more than half of Gen Z and Millennials (52%) responding that they feel positive about AI getting to know them, compared to 32% of Gen X and older users. This marks a departure from habits associated with legacy platforms like search engines and emphasizes the shift towards a more action-oriented decision-making approach. A 2025 study found that only 28% of Americans preferred personalized results when using search, while 47% favored a wider range of viewpoints. That change is not just about being recognized, it’s about how that recognition translates into helpful results. When asked what makes AI feel most helpful, 35% of consumers say it is when AI respects their limits and avoids content they have previously indicated is not of interest. Another 34% say that usefulness comes from receiving answers in a style or format they prefer.Transparency also has strong ties to trust.
As 68% of AI users report using AI to support decision-making, their feedback suggests that they value not only accurate results, but also clarity about how those results are generated. When asked how much they trust AI across different tasks, Americans express the highest levels of trust in its ability to give fair and unbiased information (45%, +4ppts), followed closely by being honest about how it creates answers (44%, +6ppts). Together, these insights reflect a broader emotional logic behind AI adoption. Among engaged users, trust is strengthened when the technology delivers responses that align with personal preferences, acknowledges boundaries and communicates its reasoning.COLLABORATION IS THE DEFINING ACTION OF AI ENTHUSIASTS
With growing confidence and increasingly personalized experiences, AI Enthusiasts adopt a collaborative approach that helps them refine, explore and act on their ambition. Those who treat AI like more than just a tool (such as a friend, teacher or assistant) are +18ppts more likely to report that using AI helps them get more done and feel productive (80% compared to 62% among those who treat AI as only a tool or search engine). This approach lends itself to greater integration of AI in more aspects of life, with this type of user being nearly twice as likely to have used AI to support their personal growth (67% vs. 36%), and more than 1.5 times as likely to have used AI to support their hobbies and personal interests (75% vs. 47%). As can be expected, this is a behavior more common among Gen Z/Millennials, who are +13ppts more likely to report using AI as more than just a tool (76% vs. 63%).
The way users leverage AI for decision-making has shifted to lead with collaboration.
Three months ago, the most common way AI helped was by summarizing information. In the latest wave of research, that top function has been replaced by comparing choices (38%, +8ppts)—a change that underscores how users are engaging AI in a more interactive, rather than passive, manner. Anonymized telemetry from Microsoft’s consumer Copilot offerings tracks a similar change in text conversation intent between April and July 2025. "Searching for Information" as intent decreased by -9ppts globally, while “Seeking Advice” and “Creating or Editing Text” both increased by over +4ppts, indicating that users are looking for more active collaboration and co-creation. Importantly, while AI takes on a more complex role in shaping decisions, users still want to remain in control. Americans’ preferred ways for AI to assist include “just give me information and let me decide” (31%) and “help explain options, but let me choose” (24%).Even among the most engaged users, it seems AI is seen as less of a substitute for decision-making and more of a partner in the process.
This approach then lends itself to a practice of deeper questioning. Since the previous report, “education or learning decisions” has become the top use case among those who use AI to support decision-making, with 44 percent of consumers reporting this application (+13ppts). Among Gen Z and Millennial users, 46% now say that AI has helped them with learning-related decisions, a 10ppt increase from the previous survey.
[Data visualization comparing types of decisions people use AI and how it’s changed wave over wave]
This quest for knowledge aligns with a user base that increasingly self-identifies as “more informed and smarter,” now the top feeling after using generative AI to make a personal decision (41%). The practice of iterating, inquiring and turning to AI as a true thought partner is delivering results. And as the technology continues to become more intuitive and accessible, these deeper forms of engagement are more available to all.
THOSE WHO ENGAGE, ADVANCE
Still, the gap is growing. It’s not just that AI is moving fast; the people using it well are too. Those who lean in with purpose are gaining confidence, learning faster and getting more done. As their results build, the divide between AI Enthusiasts and everyone else is becoming harder to ignore. And for the latter group, that progress is contagious. They’re beginning to take the first steps in experimenting, exploring and finding their way in with new entry points. The research makes one thing clear: staying on the sidelines comes at a cost. The individuals pulling ahead are not necessarily the most technical or experienced. They’re the ones who are willing to engage and act as AI-powered tools become more intuitive.It’s an example anyone can follow:
- Start small, experimenting in places where AI already feels useful and natural
- Customize the experience, establishing personal guardrails that reinforce trust
- Treat AI as a learning partner, using it to test ideas, explore options and reason through decisions