The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed the mobile apps landscape, taking it from niche utility to mainstream essential. According to the State of AI Apps Report 2025 by Sensor Tower, the reach of generative AI (GenAI) has widened considerably, reshaping user demographics, engagement patterns and global market trends.
AI is no longer confined to experimental chatbots or specialist tools. It has spread across verticals, powering everything from calorie counters and editing software to lifestyle guidance platforms. This expansion is reflected in app store metadata, where the term “AI” appears more than 100,000 times in app descriptions.
The scale of adoption is striking. In the first half of 2025, global downloads of GenAI apps reached nearly 1.7 billion, with in-app purchase revenue hitting nearly US$1.9 billion. Usage growth shows little sign of slowing: downloads rose 67 per cent half-over-half, while revenues doubled compared to late 2024. Consumers spent a collective 15.6 billion hours in such apps, equating to 86 million hours daily across 426 billion sessions, an intensity that underscores their stickiness.
The report highlights Asia as the most dynamic market for AI-powered mobile apps. Downloads surged 80 per cent between late 2024 and early 2025, well ahead of Europe (51 per cent) and North America (39 per cent). India and Mainland China have been pivotal in this expansion, establishing Asia as the global epicentre of AI adoption.
This regional dominance signals the availability of low-cost smartphones and internet access and a demographic tilt towards younger populations, who are more willing to experiment with emerging technologies.
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Demographics: young, male-leaning but diversifying
Despite broad uptake, audience profiles reveal distinct patterns. GenAI apps still skew towards younger men: in the US, nearly 70 per cent of ChatGPT users are male and 64 per cent are under 35. However, a more balanced audience is emerging. Flagship apps such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini now attract at least 30 per cent women users. In contrast, entertainment-driven platforms such as PolyBuzz and Character AI are especially popular with young women.
AI Assistants also attract tech-savvy groups. There is substantial overlap with communities such as cryptocurrency traders and peer-to-peer payment adopters, reflecting both early adopters and digitally confident users.
One of the most revealing insights is how usage rhythms resemble those of established search engines. AI assistants are increasingly treated as information gateways, with daily peaks between 7 PM and 10 PM.
ChatGPT also demonstrates a spike in weekend usage, suggesting it has become a go-to tool for broader lifestyle and entertainment needs. On average, ChatGPT users engage with the app 13 times per month, similar to X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit, highlighting its growing integration into everyday routines.
The scope of AI apps is diversifying. ChatGPT, once regarded primarily as a technical aid, is now seeing more prompts related to lifestyle and entertainment, which grew from 22 per cent in mid-2024 to 35 per cent a year later. Health and wellness, government and politics, and shopping are also expanding rapidly.
Still, work and education remain the dominant categories, accounting for nearly 60 per cent of use cases.
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