MKOR Study: 70% of Romanians use AI, while ChatGPT remains the dominant tool

Seven out of ten Romanians aged between 18 and 55 declare themselves current users of artificial intelligence, according to the “AI Adoption Report România” study, conducted by MKOR in 2026. Adoption is nevertheless concentrated on personal use and on a single dominant tool: ChatGPT.

Romanians primarily associate AI with help and usefulness (16%), tools and technology (11%), progress and innovation (10%), or with the names of AI assistants (10%). In their relationship with technology, 27% see it as a personal assistant, while 22% view it as an acquaintance they turn to only when needed. Only 11% consider it a colleague and 9% a friend.

ChatGPT is known by 98% of respondents and was used by 86% of them in the last 30 days. Gemini reaches 48%, while Claude and Copilot remain below the 20% threshold in recent use. AI is used mainly in personal life (83%), followed by work (58%) and education (16%).

The study also reveals the limits of trust. More than half of the participants, 52%, mistook an AI-generated text for one written by a human. In addition, 32% would feel betrayed if they found out that the results of medical analyses had been explained by AI rather than by a doctor. For comparison, Eurostat indicates a much lower use of generative AI in Romania, at 17.8% in 2025, with the difference explained by the distinct methods and samples.