Action, Ease & Personalization: AI Chatbot News Experiences

Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots—such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Google AI Mode or the Washington Post’s “Ask the Post AI”—are software products that simulate human-like conversations and generate responses across a wide range of topics. While even their creators caution against using them as arbiters of fact, research consistently demonstrates that people increasingly rely on them for information about the world. Since the line between “information” and “news” is hardly clear-cut and information-seeking is also likely to include many topics where users of AI chatbots might previously have turned to news sources, news providers need an understanding of those broader informational habits. This report provides a detailed snapshot of relatively early adopters and their use of AI chatbots to get information, including news. In October 2025, the Center for News, Technology & Innovation interviewed 53 people in India and the U.S. who use AI chatbots at least once a week and said they “keep informed about issues and events of the day” at least “somewhat closely.”