South Korean teenagers increasingly adopt generative AI for study and shopping

A report by CJ Mezzo Media titled ‘Gen-AI Report’ reveals that 85% of South Korean teenagers aged 15 to 18 use generative AI at least twice a week. This group, described as the ‘AI native generation,’ is increasingly integrating AI into various aspects of daily life, including education, information searching, and shopping.

In academic settings, 86% of respondents use AI at least once a week, primarily for solving problems (42%), summarizing content (41%), and explaining concepts (34%). The main drivers for using AI in studies are the ability to receive immediate answers (61%) and the lack of time or location constraints (59%).

AI is also becoming a significant competitor to traditional search engines, with 45% of teenagers using AI for information retrieval compared to 55% using search engines. ChatGPT (82%) and Gemini (77%) are the most utilized services. Furthermore, 82% of respondents use AI to research products before purchasing, and 40% have actually bought items recommended by AI.

Despite high usage, sentiment toward AI-generated advertising remains low. While 85% have encountered AI ads, only 16% viewed them positively, whereas 48% held negative views, citing a lack of ‘sincerity’ as a primary reason for their dissatisfaction.