For Consumer AI, Distribution Is Becoming the Deciding Factor

Data from PYMNTS Intelligence shows that consumer artificial intelligence has crossed a critical threshold: 54% of U.S. adults now use AI for personal tasks, marking a shift from experimentation to everyday utility. At the same time, usage intensity is deepening. The average user now relies on two to three different AI tools, signaling that AI is becoming embedded across workflows rather than used in isolation.

Within that shift, distribution is emerging as the defining advantage. PYMNTS data shows that 52% of power users now access AI through installed apps, rather than browsers, signaling a move toward persistent environments where usage becomes habitual. As AI moves from a destination to a default interface, the companies that control access points are increasingly positioned to control engagement, retention and monetization.

From Queries to Daily Dependence

The PYMNTS data shows that consumer AI is no longer in the “try it” phase. Behavior is consolidating around repeat usage and habit formation. More than 6 in 10 U.S. consumers used a dedicated AI platform in the past year, reflecting mainstream penetration.

Among younger users and power users, more than one-third now turn to AI first when starting personal tasks, bypassing traditional search and browsing flows. That shift is reinforced by substitution effects. Among users who rely primarily on AI platforms, 42% report using search engines less, compared with 33% among those using AI through search summaries.

Usage is also becoming more embedded in high-frequency behavior. Power users, defined as those completing 25 or more AI-driven tasks, now represent roughly 10% of consumers, with mainstream users accounting for another 27%, indicating a growing middle tier of habitual users. These users are not just asking questions. They are offloading workflows such as budgeting, travel planning and shopping into AI systems.

That shift is turning AI into a daily utility. PYMNTS data shows that more than 60% of consumers now start at least one daily task with AI, marking a structural change in how digital journeys begin.

Distribution Becomes the Moat

As usage consolidates, distribution is becoming the primary competitive lever. The PYMNTS data shows that consumers are not evenly experimenting across platforms. Instead, they are locking into a small number of interfaces early.

For example, 83% of AI users have tried ChatGPT, compared with 48% for Google Gemini and 30% for Microsoft Copilot, highlighting how initial access points shape long-term behavior.

That concentration is reinforced by the environment. Among users engaging through dedicated AI platforms, 43% say they have fully replaced previous methods, rather than layering AI on top of existing workflows. In app-based environments, switching costs rise as context, preferences, and history accumulate.

The result is a shift in where value accrues. In browser-based interactions, value is captured at the query level. In app-based environments, value compounds over time through repeated engagement, data accumulation and workflow integration.

This mirrors earlier platform transitions. Just as mobile apps displaced desktop web usage, AI apps are now displacing browser-based interaction. The difference is that AI does not just host activity; it intermediates it.

From Chat to Action Across Devices

Model providers are already adapting by extending AI beyond chat into execution. Anthropic has introduced new capabilities for its Claude assistant that allow users to initiate tasks on one device and have them executed on another, according to CNBC.

This marks a shift from AI as a conversational layer to an operational one. Instead of generating responses, systems are increasingly completing workflows. That includes navigating interfaces, executing multistep actions and maintaining continuity across devices.

The move aligns directly with the behavioral data. As users engage with AI multiple times per day in short bursts, persistence becomes critical. Apps provide that persistence, allowing AI to retain context and operate continuously rather than resetting with each session.

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