The Use of Artificial Intelligence is Growing in Latvia

In Latvia, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools has significantly increased over the past year, while the consumption of traditional media continues to decline, according to data from the National Council of Electronic Media (NCEM) study "On the Media Literacy of Residents of Latvia." 52% of respondents used AI tools in the past year, compared to 29% last year and 19% in 2024. In turn, 55% of respondents positively assessed their skills in using AI tools independently this year, while last year this figure was 32%, and in 2024 it was 27%. Residents most frequently use AI tools for text generation, such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Google Gemini. In the past year, 43% of respondents used them compared to 29% last year. Image generation tools were used by 16%, presentation and design tools by 14%, and video generation tools by 8% of respondents. AI tools are most often used for personal needs, such as planning trips or workouts. This purpose was indicated by 31% of respondents compared to 14% last year. For professional needs, AI was used by 24%, for education, study, and self-development by 23%, and for entertainment and leisure by 22% of respondents. Among young people aged 15 to 25, the use of AI tools is even more widespread. For education, study, and self-development, 51% of young people regularly use AI tools, for personal needs 48%, and for professional needs 29%. At the same time, 15% of young people use AI tools for psychological support, and 4% for creating virtual "friendships." To search for general information on the internet, 67% of respondents most often use internet search engines, such as Google or Bing, while 19% prefer AI tools and 14% social networks. Among young people, AI tools for information search are used by 35% of respondents, while 46% use internet search engines and 19% social networks. In turn, among elderly people, 75% choose internet search engines, 7% AI tools, and 19% social networks.