While British adults are less active on social media, more than half of them now use artificial intelligence tools, according to a new report from the UK media regulator.
In research published on Thursday, Ofcom assessed how Britons use, understand and feel about the media and online services they interact with in their daily lives. The company has tracked trends in media habits and online behaviors in the UK over the past year. At a time when trust in mainstream media is waning and artificial intelligence looms large, the numbers are telling.
The report found that UK adults are less formally active on social media, preferring a “limited lifespan to permanent jobs”. Social media use remains widespread, with nine in 10 adult internet users (89 percent) using at least one social media platform, rising to 97 percent among 16-34 year olds.
But the research also suggests that social media use is becoming more passive and cautious – around half of adult social media users (49%) actively post, share or comment – down from 61% in 2024. The proportion exploring new websites fell from 70% to 56% over the same period. Ofcom found that respondents expressed being more selective about what they post on social media and how, with more adults concerned about their online posts causing them problems in the future (49 per cent compared to 43 per cent a year ago).
It is perhaps not surprising that more than half (54%) of UK adults now use AI tools, such as ChatGPT, Copilot or Gemini, and this is particularly driven by younger adults. About one in eight AI users said they use these tools for conversational purposes, rising to about one in five for those aged 25 to 34.
Ofcom added: “Some participants in our qualitative study appeared to interact with the AI as if it were a person, often unconsciously.” “In some cases, they report using AI to get advice on a relationship breakup or to keep them company when working from home. AI is also being used for creative tasks, including planning a room layout, writing wedding speeches, and creating artwork.”
Trust in news sources remains mixed and increasingly divided. Most adults (85%) say they use mainstream media to get news, but trust varies, according to research. About one in five adults say they always trust the accuracy of mainstream media, although a similar percentage always doubt their accuracy.
While the majority of these respondents consider mainstream media brands – such as BBC News, ITV News and Sky News – to be the most trustworthy sources for news stories about UK politics or conflict abroad, a “few” do not strongly trust the mainstream media, preferring to access their news from independent content creators and citizen journalists on YouTube. “Both groups appear to have become more entrenched in their views,” the results say.
In this regard, for participants in Ofcom’s qualitative study, YouTube was mostly used to access content related to their personal interests. However, through the latest wave of research, it now appears to serve a wider range of viewing tastes and needs. These include watching “in the background” – sometimes as an alternative to daytime television – and videos on a range of random and selective topics. For some male participants, YouTube is now their main or only form of viewing.
Key concerns around screen time were highlighted in the report as well: The proportion of online adults who feel the benefits of being online outweigh the risks fell to 59 percent, compared to 72 percent last year. Fewer social media users also say social media platforms are good for their mental health (36%, down from 42%). Two-thirds of those surveyed admitted to spending too much time on their devices.
The Adult Media Use and Attitudes Tracker is a quantitative survey of 7,533 UK adults aged over 16. Fieldwork was carried out from September to November 2025.
