AI Users Listen To More Online Audio And Podcasts, New Infinite Dial Data Shows.

From the podcast industry internal debate whether artificial intelligence-generated shows are the dreaded “AI slop” to iHeartMedia’s “Guaranteed Human” promotional campaign across its radio stations, the audio industry is contemplating the new technology’s role. New Edison Research data shows that audio consumers may actually be more open to AI than what many believe.

Americans who are already using AI tools are also among the most active consumers of digital audio, according to new data released in the 2026 edition of the Infinite Dial, the annual study of digital media behavior among Americans age 12 and older. It shows that 87% of AI users listened to online audio during the past week, compared with 61% of Americans who do not use AI tools. The gap is similar for podcast listening, where 55% of AI users consumed a podcast in the past week versus 33% of non-users.

Beyond digital audio, Edison finds AI users also show higher engagement across other digital platforms, with 92% using social media in the past week compared with 72% of non-users. And 87% are using YouTube versus 66% of non-users.

The findings suggest AI adoption is closely tied to broader digital media engagement, reinforcing the idea that early technology adopters remain among the most active digital media users. It could also point to a greater acceptance of the AI’s use of these early adopters than people who have been slower to accept the technology.

“We see a consistent and significant gap across the board. AI users are more likely to have listened to online audio than AI non-users. And more than half of AI users are weekly podcast consumers,” Edison Research Vice President Megan Lazovick said. “In other areas of digital engagement, like social media and YouTube where usage is higher among the general population, we also see a significant gap between those who use AI and those who don’t.”

The broader survey suggests that AI itself is quickly becoming a mainstream technology. The report finds 93% of Americans age 12 and older are familiar with at least one generative AI brand, while 57% say they use at least one generative AI tool.

Separate research conducted by Edison Research for its newly-launched AI User Metrics project shows how quickly usage is becoming routine. That study finds more than half (52%) of Americans age 18 and older use at least one AI chatbot on a weekly basis, with many people using multiple services. The numbers also suggest significant differences between personal and professional use.

“AI adoption is moving faster than anything we've measured,” Lazovick said during a webinar presenting the new research. “That's a level of awareness that podcasting hasn't achieved after 20 years of measurement,” she added.

Because the profile of AI users is rapidly evolving, Edison will begin to release twice-monthly AI User Metrics reports designed to offer real-time insights into the shifts. It will rely on SSRS opinion panel data.