A new study reveals something unexpected about AI adoption. Most people barely use AI tools, and those who do use them frequently tend to have darker personality traits.
Most People Don’t Actually Use AI
Despite all the headlines about AI taking over, researchers at UC Davis found that most people rarely touch AI tools. Instead of relying on what people say they do, they looked at actual web browsing data.
The results were surprising. While tech companies push AI everywhere and media talks about it constantly, real usage tells a different story. Most people stick to regular websites for shopping, videos, and everyday browsing.
PhD candidate Emily McKinley, who led the study, noticed a big gap between what people claim and what their browser history shows. We debate AI’s future impact, but most of us aren’t actually using it enough to have an opinion based on experience.
The Dark Side of Heavy AI Users
Here’s where it gets interesting. The people who do use AI frequently scored higher on what psychologists call the “Dark Triad” - three personality traits that aren’t exactly pleasant.
These traits include Machiavellianism (manipulation and cunning), narcissism (inflated self-importance and need for admiration), and psychopathy (lack of empathy and antisocial tendencies). This pattern showed up most clearly among students.
We’re not talking about clinical diagnoses here, just personality tendencies. But it challenges the idea that people adopt new technology simply because it’s useful or interesting.
Why AI Appeals to Certain Personalities
Think about what AI offers - detached, efficient tools that work without judgment or emotion. For someone who likes to manipulate situations, AI becomes the perfect assistant for strategic advantages or crafting persuasive arguments.
Narcissists might love having a tireless digital assistant that helps with self-promotion without questioning their grand plans. People with psychopathic tendencies could appreciate AI’s purely functional approach - no messy emotions or social expectations to navigate.
This doesn’t mean every frequent AI user has sinister motives. But the connection suggests that AI, in its current form, particularly attracts people who value efficiency, control, and self-advancement over traditional social considerations.
What This Means for AI’s Future
If the most active AI users have these personality traits, what does that say about how AI develops? Are we building tools primarily for people who thrive on manipulation and cold utility rather than the general population?
This matters because user behavior shapes technology evolution. We’ve seen this with social media and online gaming - the psychology of active users influences how platforms develop.
The research suggests AI adoption faces more than just technical challenges. If early adopters use AI for less-than-noble reasons, it could affect how everyone else perceives these tools. Even though other research shows 70% of people are polite to AI assistants, the driving force behind sophisticated AI use might come from a different, less friendly place.
Understanding who uses AI and why helps us see where this technology might be heading - and it’s more complicated than the tech industry would have us believe.