The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is on the rise in France, with 48% of people reporting they used an AI-based tool at least once in 2025.
This was a significant increase from figures reported in 2023, when only one in five (20%) reported using AI.
The figures come from the latest annual ‘Baromètre du numérique’ study from France’s independent think-tank and research centre Crédoc (Centre de recherche pour l'étude et l'observation des conditions de vie), charting telephony and IT use in 2025.
It means that generative AI technology has seen a quicker uptake than recent innovations such as the internet and smartphones in France.
It took five years for fixed-line internet usage to increase from 23% to 55% in France, and three years for smartphone adoption to increase from 17% to 46%.
Around 34% of people ages 12+ use generative AI tools daily, and of those who have used the tools at least once, 68% engage with them once a week or more.
However, the study* highlights a wide generational variation in AI usage to a more pronounced degree than in previous technological advancements.
Where 85% of 18-24 year olds have used AI tools, for those aged 60-69 only around one-third (33%) have done the same.
Despite the uptick in usage, 52% of people remained distrustful of AI in 2025, although this is less than 57% back in 2023.
Among this group, concerns over the accuracy of responses as well as how AI tools use personal data remained the primary reasons for not using the technology.
Despite only 5% of non-AI users citing the environmental impact as their main reason for not using the technology, around 46% of all respondents (including those who do use it) said the environmental impact from AI tools – particularly water consumption – was worse than from traditional search engines.
Several reasons for using AI
AI is used for a number of reasons, with the most popular being information retrieval – 73% of AI users report engaging in this function at least once in the month prior to the study.
Other main uses include writing assistance (grammar checks, etc), text translation and stylistic improvement (58%), generating new ideas (57%), content creation (42%), and computer programming (30%).
Among the 18-24 bracket, 73% use AI for help with homework or assignments, as do 68% of 12-17 year olds.
Close to three-quarters of overall AI users said the main reasons for using the tools were for their time-saving capabilities and user-friendliness.
ChatGPT by OpenAI was the most used tool,with 63% of AI users saying they engaged with the chatbot. This was followed by Google’s Gemini at 13%, which is built into several technological devices.
‘Grok’, the AI used for Elon Musk’s social media platform X (formerly Twitter), was only used by 1% of respondents.
Is France lagging behind?
Despite the findings, France ranks last in a new global AI adoption index according to the Public Sector AI Adoption Index 2026, published on February 7.
The report, published by Public First consultancy for the independent Washington D.C.-based think tank Center for Data Innovation with sponsorship from Google, surveyed 3,335 public servants across 10 countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the United States, Japan, Brazil, South Africa, India, Singapore and Saudi Arabia.
The survey measured adoption across five areas: attitudes towards AI, confidence using it, access to approved tools and leadership guidance, how embedded AI is in daily work, and access to training.
While Saudi Arabia came top, France was ranked last in 10th place behind the UK (6th) and the USA (7th). Figures for France showed that 74% of participants stated that AI could not perform any part of their work, and 45% reported they never used AI at work.
A recent UK government study found 73% of the public used AI in the last month before being questioned, with 36% using it for work.
A YouGov study conducted in the US found 59% of Americans had used AI at least once in 2025.
The findings come after President Macron announced a public-private investment strategy for France aimed at transforming infrastructure, with a total mobilisation exceeding €109 billion announced during the February 2025 AI Action Summit in Paris.
*Study conducted by Crédoc for Arcep (telecoms regulator), Arcom (digital regulator), CGE (General Economic Council) and the ANCT (National Agency for Territorial Cohesion), with 4,415 people aged 12+ in France asked questions about AI usage.
