4 in 10 Koreans used generative AI in 2025: Poll

Four out of 10 Koreans said they used generative AI last year, while concerns over the negative effects of AI grew from a year earlier, a government survey showed Thursday.

According to the latest findings, 38.9 percent of respondents said they have experience using generative AI, such as ChatGPT, in 2025, up 14.9 percent from a year earlier, marking the third consecutive year of increase.

The daily average time spent on generative AI services was 49.6 minutes, with more than 60 percent of respondents saying they use the technology for more than 30 minutes on average on a daily basis, the poll showed.

The most cited benefit of generative AI was its information search function, followed by support for time management and education.

Respondents also appeared to be more concerned about the side effects of AI compared to a year earlier.

The proportion of people who believed AI could be used to spread false information rose 9.6 percentage points on year, while the proportion of people who expressed concern about AI being used in crimes rose 9 percentage points from last year.

Technical complexity was the most cited hurdle among nonusers of generative AI, followed by subscription costs and concerns for privacy, the poll also said.

The survey was conducted on 4,324 people aged between 18 and 72, who said they access the internet through a smartphone, by the Korea Media and Communications Commission and the Korea Information Society Development Institute.

Yonhap