Tracing ChatGPT Use in Spain: Differences Among Population Groups in Adoption and Engagement

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are transforming how people work, learn and create, reshaping everyday digital interactions. Among them, ChatGPT stands out as a particularly disruptive innovation, reaching 100 million users within two months of its launch and becoming the fastest‐growing digital application in history. Understanding how ChatGPT is being adopted—and whether adoption differs across population groups—is essential for anticipating its broader social impact and ensuring equitable access to emerging AI technologies. However, obtaining accurate evidence on adoption and engagement with ChatGPT is challenging, as survey‐based measures are prone to recall and social desirability biases. This study addresses these limitations by analysing a specific type of digital trace data—called “metered data”—recorded continuously over a 2‐year period from Spanish internet users. These data provide granular, behaviour‐based insights into ChatGPT adoption and engagement over time. The results show that 50.8% of participants used ChatGPT at least once, with adoption following a three‐stage trajectory: an initial period of slow growth, a phase of rapid acceleration between April and August 2024 (coinciding with the GPT‐4o release) and a subsequent stabilisation. Nonetheless, persistent digital divides remain: Adoption is lower among older, less educated, homemakers or retired individuals. However, gender gaps are narrowing. Engagement patterns are less differentiated but follow similar trends. Overall, these findings highlight both the rapid mainstreaming of generative AI and the continuing need for strategies that promote inclusive and equitable adoption.