https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/29/ofcom_online_nation/ # # Sign in / up The Register(r) -- Biting the hand that feeds IT # # # Topics Security Security All SecurityCyber-crimePatchesResearchCSO (X) Off-Prem Off-Prem All Off-PremEdge + IoTChannelPaaS + IaaSSaaS (X) On-Prem On-Prem All On-PremSystemsStorageNetworksHPCPersonal TechCxOPublic Sector (X) Software Software All SoftwareAI + MLApplicationsDatabasesDevOpsOSesVirtualization (X) Offbeat Offbeat All OffbeatDebatesColumnistsScienceGeek's GuideBOFHLegalBootnotesSite NewsAbout Us (X) Special Features Special Features All Special Features Cybersecurity Month VMware Explore Blackhat and DEF CON Cloud Infrastructure Month Malware Month The Reg in Space Spotlight on RSA Vendor Voice Vendor Voice Vendor Voice All Vendor Voice HERE and AWS Vonage Amdocs GE Vernova with AWS GE Vernova with AWS Siemens and AWS Gen AI Siemens and AWS IT/OT Amazon Web Services (AWS) New Horizon in Cloud Computing DDN Google Cloud Data Transformation Google Gemini Hewlett Packard Enterprise: Edge-to-Cloud Platform Intel vPro VMware (X) Resources Resources Whitepapers Webinars & Events Newsletters [personalte] Personal Tech 98 comment bubble on white Brits are scrolling away from X and aren't that interested in AI 98 comment bubble on white Ofcom's Online Nation report drills into the UK's internet habits for 2024 icon Richard Speed Fri 29 Nov 2024 // 10:39 UTC # Usage of Elon Musk's X social media platform is declining in the UK, and adult Brits aren't particularly interested in generative AI tools. That's according to Ofcom's Online Nation report, an annual publication looking at what UK citizens do during their hours online and how much time they spend glued to gadgets. According to the comms regulator, adults spent an average of four hours 20 minutes a day online in May 2024 across tablets, smartphones, and computers. [personalte] The report also shows that the total UK adult reach in a month of X (formerly Twitter) continues to decline. For May 2022, Ofcom measured X's adult reach at 26.8 million. In 2023, it was 24 million. By May 2024, it had fallen to 22.1 million, a year-on-year decline of 8 percent. [personalte] [personalte] X suffered the most significant fall in total adult use of all social media sites, which also resulted in it sliding down the rankings to sixth, behind Reddit, which registered the largest year-on-year growth - 47 percent - taking May's figure to 22.9 million. Several changes have been made at X in recent months, but the platform has continued on a downward trajectory in Britain and Northern Ireland. [personalte] Ofcom's figures align with other research on X. While still hugely popular, the service has been shedding users over the last two years. UK-based SOAX reported an 8.83 percent decrease in monthly active users since 2022 and 5.14 percent since 2023. This is despite global growth in social media users, according to Statista. The decline co-incides with a change of ownership after Musk bought the business for $44 billion in October 2022, and it became a doyen of free speech - whether that includes more hateful or more honest content depends on the users' perspective. AI - huh - what is good for? Perhaps a bit of searching? Ofcom also found that Google's search engine dominance in the UK also slipped slightly over the year, with 83 percent of online adults visiting in May 2024 compared to 86 percent the year before. Microsoft's Bing fell further, down to 39 percent from 46 percent. Microsoft and Google have invested heavily in AI, with generative AI content turning up in the search results from their respective services. However, ChatGPT remains the most popular GenAI tool. Microsoft's Copilot came second, with 15 percent of UK internet users aged 16 and over having used it. Despite being only recently introduced, Google's Gemini was ranked fourth, with 10 percent of users. * Now Online Safety Act is law, UK has 'priorities' - but still won't explain 'spy clause' * Brit telcos to clash in high-speed mmWave spectrum showdown next year * Watchdog reluctantly blesses Vodafone-Three merger - with strings attached * Australia tells tots: No TikTok till you're 16... or X, Instagram and Facebook The figures also show sluggish AI adoption. More than half of adults in the survey had yet to use GenAI, with 38 percent declaring they were "not interested" and 35 percent saying they "did not need to." Forty-eight percent of adults had used the technology, but only "for fun." Forty-three percent had used one for work, and the most popular activity was finding content. However, less than one in five (18 percent) trusted the output. The numbers are slightly different for the under-16s. Fifty-four percent said they had used a GenAI tool, with more than half (53 percent) of those saying they had used it for schoolwork. Sixty-three percent reported using a GenAI tool "for fun." [personalte] The distribution across age groups shows that AI is making more significant inroads into younger demographics than older. However, it appears that investors may have to wait a little longer before AI bets start paying off. (r) Get our Tech Resources # Share More about * AI * Ofcom * Social Media More like these x More about * AI * Ofcom * Social Media * Twitter Narrower topics * Gemini * Google AI * GPT-3 * GPT-4 * Instagram * Large Language Model * Machine Learning * MCubed * Neural Networks * NLP * Social Network * Star Wars * Tensor Processing Unit * TOPS Broader topics * Self-driving Car More about # Share 98 comment bubble on white COMMENTS More about * AI * Ofcom * Social Media More like these x More about * AI * Ofcom * Social Media * Twitter Narrower topics * Gemini * Google AI * GPT-3 * GPT-4 * Instagram * Large Language Model * Machine Learning * MCubed * Neural Networks * NLP * Social Network * Star Wars * Tensor Processing Unit * TOPS Broader topics * Self-driving Car TIP US OFF Send us news --------------------------------------------------------------------- Other stories you might like We can clone you wholesale: Boffins build ML agents that respond like specific people Oh, AI wanna be like you, AI wanna walk like you, talk like you, too AI + ML24 Nov 2024 | 48 Whomp-whomp: AI PCs make users less productive People just don't know how to wrangle chatbots into useful things, Intel says AI + ML22 Nov 2024 | 109 Prepare for an AI policy upending under Trump, say experts Analysis Biden executive orders are as good as dead, and the industry will probably have more say in what comes next Public Sector21 Nov 2024 | 26 An easy route to AI-enhanced productivity How the integration of Google Gemini across Google Workspace turbo charges existing apps with AI power Sponsored Feature [personalte] Yup, half of that thought-leader crap on LinkedIn is indeed AI scribbled Ten rules for maximizing your grindset! #1: Let a bot do your work for you Bootnotes28 Nov 2024 | 45 AI Jesus is ready to dispense advice from a booth in historic Swiss church Pope, Depeche Mode, silent on digital second coming Bootnotes23 Nov 2024 | 76 Thousands of AI agents later, who even remembers what they do? Gartner weighs the pros and cons of the latest enterprise hotness AI + ML21 Nov 2024 | 35 Job seekers call BS on the workplace AI revolution Survey respondents doubt it boosts performance or even lightens the load AI + ML20 Nov 2024 | 23 Cloudy with a chance of GPU bills: AI's energy appetite has CIOs sweating Canalys Forums EMEA 2024 Public cloud expenses have businesses scrambling for alternatives that won't melt the budget AI + ML29 Nov 2024 | 6 AI poetry 'out-humans' humans as readers prefer bots to bards Updated But, but what about the 'staggering banality of the poems that ChatGPT has produced' NYU prof sighs AI + ML17 Nov 2024 | 53 AI PCs: 'Something will have to give in 2025, and I think it's pricing' Consultant bemoans lack of use cases and businesses' budget AI + ML22 Nov 2024 | 84 AI PCs flood the market. Their makers hope someone wants them Despite 49% surge in shipments, buyers seem unconvinced Personal Tech14 Nov 2024 | 37 The Register icon Biting the hand that feeds IT About Us* * Contact us * Advertise with us * Who we are Our Websites* * The Next Platform * DevClass * Blocks and Files Your Privacy* * Cookies Policy * Privacy Policy * Ts & Cs * Do not sell my personal information Situation Publishing Copyright. All rights reserved (c) 1998-2024 no-js