One in 20 UK Adults Now Pays for an AI Assistant, Study Shows

A study based on matched bank transaction data reveals that the share of UK adults paying for AI assistants reached 5.1% (50.6 per 1,000 people) in June 2026, up from 2.3% a year earlier. In terms of direct subscription spending, Claude's market share surged from 7% in December 2025 to 29.4% in July 2026, while ChatGPT dropped from 73.5% to 52.5%. Demographically, AI subscription penetration was significantly higher among 20-to-29-year-olds, men, higher-income earners, and professionals such as IT specialists and university lecturers.