The rapid rise of generative AI has become a growing focus for journalism, as publishers and platforms grapple with what it means for how people access and engage with news, including the emerging use of AI chatbots for news. Much of the attention has so far centred on how newsrooms can use AI to produce or distribute content more efficiently. But at the same time, a small but growing share of the public is beginning to use these tools directly to get news, as chatbots become more embedded in everyday digital life.

Recent evidence points to a sharp increase in AI use overall. The Generative AI and news report 2025 found that weekly use of generative AI tools across six markets grew from 18% to 34% between 2024 and 2025 (Simon et al. 2025). In this chapter, we examine the emergence of standalone AI chatbots such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini as a source of news, looking at who is using them, what they are used for, and how these behaviours may shape engagement with, and traffic to, original sources.

Who Is Using AI Chatbots for News?

In our data this year, we find evidence of rising weekly use of AI chatbots for news, up from 7% to 10% globally since last year, driven largely by growth in parts of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, as well as Southern and Eastern Europe – markets where platformisation of news is stronger. While this is still a fairly small minority of the population, the figure represents a substantial relative increase and indicates that AI is beginning to play a more meaningful role in news consumption alongside established pathways. However, only 1% say AI is their main source of news, suggesting it currently plays a complementary role for most users.

Uptake of AI chatbots, both in general and for news, continues to be driven by younger people, typically at the forefront of tech adoption, including AI. The proportion of respondents in the youngest age group using chatbots for news (17%) is three times higher than that in the oldest age group (5%), although the most significant growth relative to 2025 was recorded among those 25–34 (up 4pp).

Read the full article about the use of AI chatbots for news by Dr. Amy Ross Arguedas at Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.