AI Adoption Skyrockets in France by 2025: A Landscape of Stark Contrasts

As generative AI continues to expand, a new Ifop survey for Talan conducted in March 2025 provides an updated overview of its adoption by the French population. Conducted among a representative sample of 1,100 individuals, this third iteration of the barometer highlights a rapid democratization of generative AI in France, but also emphasizes significant inequalities based on age and location. Here are the key findings from this study.

Widespread Yet Unequal Adoption of Generative AI in France

The awareness of generative AI has reached a new peak in 2025, with 86% of French people acknowledging they have heard of it, up from 78% in 2024. This significant increase reflects the deepening integration of these technologies into the national digital landscape. Awareness is particularly high among those under 35, soaring to 91%.

Personal use of generative AI is also growing strongly. Now, 45% of French people use generative AI, a substantial rise from 32% last year. However, this adoption is highly uneven. Among 18-24-year-olds, 85% report regularly using these tools, compared to just 31% of those aged 35 and older. This generational gap continues to widen each year.

Our 2024 survey “The Impact of Generative AI on Students” also began to reveal this fundamental trend with 92% of students already using these tools, Talan notes.

Regional disparities are also significant. The Île-de-France boasts the highest usage rates (59%), far ahead of rural communities (34%). In terms of sectors, agriculture surprisingly leads in adoption rates (79%), followed by construction (62%) and commerce (61%). On the other hand, public administrations lag behind, with only 47% of users.

In terms of preferred tools, ChatGPT maintains its lead with 72% of users, followed by Google’s Gemini (20%) and Microsoft’s Copilot (12%). It’s also worth noting the emergence of the French tool Mistral, which has reached 6%, on par with Chinese competitor Deepseek.

Daily Uses: Productivity, Creativity, and Correction

As the adoption of generative AI grows, its uses in the daily lives of the French are also becoming more diverse. The study finds that 85% of users employ it in personal settings, and 43% in professional contexts. This balance remains stable compared to 2024, despite the broader user base.

Information searching is the primary use for 34% of respondents, up 10 points over the year. Generative AI is thus becoming a direct competitor to traditional search engines, a trend noted in previous editions of the barometer. Saving time on routine tasks is the second most cited reason for use (28%), followed by correcting spelling and grammar mistakes (23%), particularly among young professionals and students.

Generative AI also serves as a tool for boosting self-confidence: 10% of users say it helps them feel more confident in their written communications.

The impact on productivity is widely acknowledged. Two-thirds of users report noticeable benefits from using generative AI, and 29% believe their productivity gains exceed 40%. In the professional realm, automated tasks vary widely, including automatic formula creation in spreadsheets (49%), transcription of meetings (48%), resume rewriting (48%), and report writing (47%).

How the French View Generative AI

While generative AI captivates with its capabilities, it also raises growing concerns among the French. According to the barometer, 65% of respondents express worries about data security, and 64% highlight risks to copyright and intellectual property. Dependence on foreign tech companies also remains a concern for 60% of those surveyed.

Despite these concerns, the overall perception of generative AI remains largely positive. 63% of the French view it as a new industrial revolution, and 62% believe it will profoundly transform professions.

Another notable point is the growing awareness of the importance of training. 73% of French people feel they are not sufficiently trained to use these tools effectively. In the professional world, only 15% of employees report having received specific training, despite a majority (52%) feeling encouraged by their employers to embrace these technologies.

Finally, a significant portion of users (46%) admit to using the outputs from the AI directly without modifications, raising questions about the reliability of the generated content. 43% also acknowledge that the AI often provides incorrect information.