Phantip Tritreemak/ iStock/Getty Images Plus Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways 40% of US gen AI consumers would pay for products and services. Willingness to pay is tied to vendor innovation and responsibility. Tech vendors should treat trust as a product feature. US consumers are increasingly integrating AI chatbots into their lives and have a relatively positive view of the technology, according to a survey by consulting firm Deloitte LLP. The survey also found that consumer willingness to pay for tools hinges on whether vendors are perceived as innovative and trustworthy. "[As] consumers dive deeper into personalized digital experiences, they're starting to evaluate the trade-offs, especially when it comes to privacy and security," wrote lead author Steve Feinberg and Deloitte colleagues in the firm's sixth-annual survey of US consumers, the 2025 Connected Consumer Survey. Usage is surging The firm's Center for Technology, Media, and Telecommunications conducted the survey of 3,524 US consumers in the second quarter of 2025. At a high level, Deloitte found consumer use of gen AI has surged in the past year. Also: Only 8% of Americans would pay extra for AI, according to ZDNET-Aberdeen research "Our survey finds that most surveyed consumers (53%) are now either experimenting with gen AI or using it regularly -- up sharply from 38% in 2024," noted Feinberg and team. "They're integrating the technology into their everyday lives, accessing gen AI tools and bots for personal, professional, and educational use. Moreover, 42% of regular gen AI users say it has a "very positive" effect on their lives -- outpacing perceptions of both devices (36%) and apps (29%)." Using AI is also becoming an everyday activity. Just over half of the respondents said they use some a gen AI tool daily, and 38% use the tech at least once a week. Deloitte LLP Willingness to pay Most intriguingly, in contrast to prior studies that found a low propensity to pay, the Deloitte work found that as many as 40% of people are willing to pay. "About four in ten surveyed gen AI users say they or their households pay for gen AI tools or services," the team noted. Also: Are AI subscriptions worth it? Most people don't seem to think so, according to this study That percentage contrasts strongly with, for example, work this summer by venture capital firm Menlo Ventures, which found that only 3% of gen AI users are willing to pay for a chatbot subscription. The Deloitte survey found that those unwilling to pay cite issues of utility and price: "Among users who don't pay for gen AI, half say the main reason is that free tools are good enough, 20% say they don't use the tools often enough to warrant paying, and 17% cite price." What makes people pay? The Deloitte team dug a little deeper to find out what makes people pay. They developed four categories for tech vendors: Fast Innovators, Trusted Trailblazers, Data Stewards, and Slow Movers. As they explained: "Segments were created based on an analysis of consumers' responses to 16 survey questions that evaluated the perceived performance of their tech providers across innovation, intelligence, personalization, and core data responsibility dimensions like protection, transparency, and user control." Each category had a collection of attributes, such as Trusted Trailblazers being "seen as delivering both high innovation and high data responsibility -- offering intelligent, personalized experiences while also excelling in data protection, transparency, and user control." The biggest category of goods and services, Slow Movers, represented those "delivering neither standout innovation nor strong data stewardship." Also: Meta gives advertisers new AI personalization tools - while using your chats to target content Without asking about specific named vendors, the survey collected respondents' reactions along those metrics of innovation, transparency, and more, by asking them to indicate their level of agreement with statements, such as "'high' or 'very high' trust that my tech providers will deliver innovative solutions while protecting my data." The team then matched the respondents' indications of their willingness to pay for goods and services, on the one hand, with the four categories of product providers to which their responses most aligned. The researchers observed a correlation between certain areas, such as trust and willingness to spend: "Respondents aligned with Trusted Trailblazers spend 62% more annually on tech devices and 26% more monthly on tech services than those aligned with Slow Movers," wrote the authors. "They're also more likely to anticipate increasing their spending in the year ahead -- more than twice as likely for both devices and subscriptions. These findings suggest that a dual focus on smart, personalized innovation and strong data stewardship is more than just good practice -- it can be a powerful driver of consumer loyalty, engagement, and wallet share." Deloitte LLP Risk awareness is rising The survey noted a general rise in awareness of security and other issues connected to gen AI: "Awareness of potential dangers has grown," they said. "Importantly, consumers are not just afraid of bad actors -- they indicate increasing worry about the tech companies that provide their devices and services." The researchers continued: "Eighty-two percent of surveyed gen AI users and experimenters now say the technology could be misused (up from 74% last year), while 74% fear it could erode critical thinking skills -- a concern shared evenly by surveyed users and experimenters, as well as those merely familiar with gen AI." Also: 5 reasons I use local AI on my desktop - instead of ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude In addition, "One-third of surveyed users say they've encountered incorrect or misleading information when using gen AI, and 24% report they've had data privacy issues." Deloitte LLP What vendors should do Feinberg and team suggested the spending data raises a question for tech providers: "Can they create enough differentiated, meaningful value to convert more free users into paying customers?" The team suggested vendors should align product development with "consumer priorities," including "treating trust as a product feature." Want more stories about AI? Sign up for Innovation, our weekly newsletter. "Consumers are more likely to engage with -- and pay for -- tech experiences they trust," the researchers wrote. "Providers can build long-term affinity by embedding transparency, explainability, and strong data protection directly into their products, and not just their policies."