Seeking information remains the primary driver behind global artificial intelligence usage, as millions of users aged 16 and older turn to automated tools for daily tasks.

Data from the Digital 2026 Mid-Year Global Update Report highlights the core motivations propelling active global AI adoption.

Finding information overwhelmingly tops the list, with 58.8 per cent of active users relying on AI platforms to gather knowledge and answer queries.

Seeking guidance also ranks high, as 37.8 per cent of users leverage AI to get advice on problems, closely followed by 37.0 per cent who use the technology to learn or improve skills.

Creative and practical applications account for a significant share of engagement. Creating or enhancing images and video motivates 33.5 per cent of users, while 33.1 per cent turn to AI to save time or increase efficiency.

Text creation remains a key feature, with 30.4 per cent of respondents utilising tools to create or enhance written content.

Personalisation and entertainment further shape modern usage patterns. Roughly 29.6 per cent of users adopt AI to receive personalised recommendations, while 26.5 per cent seek out entertainment.

Meanwhile, managing health and wellbeing serves as a key reason for 23.0 per cent of the demographic, and a small margin of 3.4 per cent use AI for other unspecified reasons.

Together, these figures underline how artificial intelligence has evolved beyond a novel trend into a versatile utility for learning, problem-solving, and productivity.