Utilization of Elon Musk’s X social media platform is declining within the UK, and grownup Brits aren’t notably all in favour of generative AI instruments.
That is in response to Ofcom’s On-line Nation report, an annual publication what UK residents do throughout their hours on-line and the way a lot time they spend glued to devices.
Based on the comms regulator, adults spent a median of 4 hours 20 minutes a day on-line in Might 2024 throughout tablets, smartphones, and computer systems.
The report additionally exhibits that the entire UK grownup attain in a month of X (previously Twitter) continues to say no. For Might 2022, Ofcom measured X’s grownup attain at 26.8 million. In 2023, it was 24 million. By Might 2024, it had fallen to 22.1 million, a year-on-year decline of 8 %.
X suffered essentially the most vital fall in whole grownup use of all social media websites, which additionally resulted in it sliding down the rankings to sixth, behind Reddit, which registered the biggest year-on-year progress – 47 % – taking Might’s determine to 22.9 million.
A number of modifications have been made at X in current months, however the platform has continued on a downward trajectory in Britain and Northern Eire.
Ofcom’s figures align with different analysis on X. Whereas nonetheless vastly well-liked, the service has been shedding customers over the past two years. UK-based SOAX reported an 8.83 % lower in month-to-month lively customers since 2022 and 5.14 % since 2023. That is regardless of international progress in social media customers, in response to Statista.
The decline co-incides with a change of possession after Musk purchased the enterprise for $44 billion in October 2022, and it grew to become a doyen of free speech – whether or not that features extra hateful or extra trustworthy content material will depend on the customers’ perspective.
AI – huh – what is sweet for? Maybe a little bit of looking?
Ofcom additionally discovered that Google’s search engine dominance within the UK additionally slipped barely over the 12 months, with 83 % of on-line adults visiting in Might 2024 in comparison with 86 % the 12 months earlier than. Microsoft’s Bing fell additional, right down to 39 % from 46 %.
Microsoft and Google have invested closely in AI, with generative AI content material turning up within the search outcomes from their respective companies. Nonetheless, ChatGPT stays the preferred GenAI software. Microsoft’s Copilot got here second, with 15 % of UK web customers aged 16 and over having used it. Regardless of being solely not too long ago launched, Google’s Gemini was ranked fourth, with 10 % of customers.
The figures additionally present sluggish AI adoption. Greater than half of adults within the survey had but to make use of GenAI, with 38 % declaring they have been “not ” and 35 % saying they “didn’t have to.”
Forty-eight % of adults had used the know-how, however solely “for enjoyable.” Forty-three % had used one for work, and the preferred exercise was discovering content material. Nonetheless, lower than one in 5 (18 %) trusted the output.
The numbers are barely totally different for the under-16s. Fifty-four % stated that they had used a GenAI software, with greater than half (53 %) of these saying that they had used it for schoolwork. Sixty-three % reported utilizing a GenAI software “for enjoyable.”
The distribution throughout age teams exhibits that AI is making extra vital inroads into youthful demographics than older. Nonetheless, it seems that buyers could have to attend a little bit longer earlier than AI bets begin paying off. ®