AI use is growing rapidly in Sweden. But older people often encounter the technology differently from younger people: not by opening ChatGPT, but by reading an AI-generated answer that appears in an ordinary Google search. That means AI use is more widespread than many might think, while the oldest people still risk being left behind.
This is a Swedish study of internet habits among people in Sweden. The figures come from the Swedish Internet Foundation’s report Swedes and the Internet 2026 and describe how people in Sweden use AI. They should not be read as a picture of older people’s AI use in other countries. Unless otherwise stated, the figures about AI refer to internet users.
AI has become part of everyday searches
When we talk about artificial intelligence, many people think of a specific service: ChatGPT, Copilot or Gemini. You type a question, get an answer and continue the conversation. But AI is now also built into services we already use. Google’s AI Overviews, for example, can display an AI-generated answer directly among the search results.
That change matters. If we only ask whether people use an AI service, we may miss those who encounter AI within a service they already use, without having deliberately sought out an AI tool. This is especially relevant when looking at older users. They may not describe themselves as AI users, yet still read and use AI-generated answers when they search on Google.
The Swedish Internet Foundation’s report Swedes and the Internet 2026 therefore measures two things: the use of standalone AI services and the use of Google’s AI Overviews. Among Swedes aged eight and older, 62 percent had used an AI service during the previous year. Seventy-one percent said they usually read Google’s AI Overviews. Counting both forms together, 81 percent had used AI in one form or the other. svenskarnaochinternet.se
That combined figure shows how widely AI has reached across the Swedish population. But it does not mean that eight out of ten people use ChatGPT or regularly chat with a chatbot. Someone who reads an AI-generated answer in Google is also counted as an AI user.
Older generations are finding AI through a familiar route
The difference between the two forms is clear in the report’s age figures. Among people born in the 1950s, 33 percent had used a standalone AI service. At the same time, 60 percent had read AI Overviews in Google. Among those born in the 1960s, the corresponding figures were 54 and 78 percent.
The same pattern can be seen among the oldest people. In the combined age group born in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, 23 percent had used an AI service, while 31 percent had read Google’s AI Overviews. When both forms are counted, 40 percent had used at least one of them. svenskarnaochinternet.se
The figures do not tell us exactly why people choose one form over the other. But they suggest that AI may be easier for many older people to access when it is built into a habit they already have. They do not need to find a new app, create a new account or learn how to start a conversation with a chatbot. They search as usual and may encounter an AI-generated answer in the results.
This is a less visible way into the technology. Someone may not think, “I’m using AI now.” They may simply read the first answer to a question about a travel destination, a recipe or a practical problem. But generative AI is still behind that answer, with both its possibilities and its potential errors.
The biggest increase is not only among young people
Younger people still use AI services the most. Nearly nine out of ten internet users born in the 2000s had used an AI service during the previous year. But one of the report’s most striking findings is how quickly use is growing among adults and older people.
Between 2025 and 2026, the share who had used AI services rose from 9 to 23 percent in the combined group born in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. Among those born in the 1950s, it rose from 12 to 33 percent. In the group born in the 1960s, it increased from 28 to 54 percent. The largest increase was among middle-aged people, but the oldest groups also moved noticeably upwards. svenskarnaochinternet.se
This challenges the idea that older people are automatically uncomfortable with new technology. Some are beginning to use standalone AI services. Even more are encountering AI through things they already do online.
At the same time, there are substantial differences among older people. The report says that 34 percent of internet-using retirees aged 65–75 use AI services. Among retirees over 75, the figure is 23 percent. When Google’s AI Overviews are included, use is higher, but the age gap remains pronounced: 70 percent of retirees over 75 do not read these overviews, compared with 37 percent of those aged 65–75. svenskarnaochinternet.se
That is why it is not very useful to talk about “older people” as if they were one uniform group. A 66-year-old who uses a smartphone every day may have very different habits from an 86-year-old who rarely goes online. Age matters, but so do previous experience, interest, health and how easy digital services are to use.
People who are online can still miss out on AI
The report’s AI figures cover internet users. That is an important limitation. The results tell us something about older people who are already online, but less about those who do not use the internet or are difficult to reach through digital surveys.
The Swedish Internet Foundation also reports that internet use is lower among the oldest people. Among those aged 76 and over, 23 percent do not use the internet at all. This means that some of the people who face the greatest barriers to digital services are not included when AI use is measured among internet users. svenskarnaochinternet.se
That does not make the report inaccurate. But it is important to read the findings in context: the figures describe AI use among older Swedes who are online, not the share of all older people in Sweden who have access to or use AI.
This distinction matters as healthcare providers, public authorities and businesses move more information into digital services. If someone does not use the internet, struggles to read text on a screen or feels uncertain about how a service works, it is not enough for AI-generated answers to be available. The technology must also be accessible and easy to understand.
Use does not automatically mean usefulness
Trying AI does not mean someone finds it useful. Among AI users aged 65 and older, 30 percent say that AI makes them more efficient. Among young adults, the corresponding figure is 67 percent. When asked specifically about private life, 29 percent of AI-using retirees say that AI makes them more efficient, compared with 40 percent of young adults and 42 percent of people aged 35–49. svenskarnaochinternet.se
There may be several explanations. Younger people are more likely to use AI in education and work, where it can be easier to see whether a tool saves time. Older people may mainly use AI for occasional questions, such as finding information or getting help with wording. That use may feel interesting or practical without producing a clear sense of greater efficiency.
The figures do not tell us exactly why retirees rate the benefits lower. But they show that increased use does not automatically mean AI has become indispensable. People can try the technology, use it occasionally and still be unsure about what it adds.
A new kind of digital literacy
When AI answers appear directly in a search engine, it is important to understand that a well-written answer is not necessarily correct. AI can provide useful information, but it can also mix up facts, leave out important details or present uncertain claims with great confidence.
Some people deal with this by checking answers against public authorities, established news outlets or other sources. Others ask several AI services or pose follow-up questions to see whether the answers hold together. Older users with long experience of searching for information may also draw on their own judgement and knowledge to decide whether an answer seems reasonable. The report includes examples of these ways of checking answers, but individual quotes should be understood as examples, not proof of how all older people think. svenskarnaochinternet.se
Digital literacy can no longer stop at asking, “Is this website trustworthy?” Users also need to ask: Is this an AI-generated answer? Where does the information come from? Can I check it somewhere else? The answers to these questions need to be understandable even to people who are unfamiliar with technical terms.
This is not only an issue for older people. But when AI is built into familiar tools, users may encounter the technology without having actively chosen it. Clear information and easy access to sources then become even more important.
AI needs to be accessible – and optional
The rapid spread of AI creates opportunities. AI can help people summarise information, explain a text in simpler language or get past a difficulty with a digital service. For someone who feels comfortable with the technology, it can provide practical support in everyday life.
But a useful service cannot assume that everyone wants to work in the same way. People need to understand when AI is being used and be able to check the information. They also need the option of getting help from a person, especially with questions about health, finances, public decisions or other important areas of life.
More older people using AI is therefore not just a matter of technical skills. It is also about how society designs its services. If AI is to help more people, it needs to work for people with different levels of experience and ability. Information must be clear, answers must be possible to check, and alternatives must be easy to understand.
Older people are entering the AI era in different ways
This Swedish study shows a rapid change. More older people are using standalone AI services, but many encounter AI through Google, where generated answers appear in the middle of an ordinary search. Older users may not fit the familiar image of an AI user typing long instructions into a chatbot.
At the same time, the age differences are real. The oldest people use AI services less, read Google’s AI Overviews less often and are more likely to be entirely offline. The broad figure for AI use should not obscure those who are still not being reached.
Perhaps the most important lesson is that AI is not spreading only through new apps. It is spreading through tools people already use. For many older Swedes, the first step into AI may simply be a Google search. The next step is to make sure that those who want to use the technology can do so safely – and that no one is left without clear information or human help when the technology is not enough.
Sources: Swedish Internet Foundation, Swedes and the Internet 2026, Chapter 2: “AI – Artificial Intelligence,” and the section on internet use and digital services. svenskarnaochinternet.se
By Chris...
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