4 Out of 10 Seoul Residents Use Generative AI...Distinct Generational Divide Evident

Results of the "2025 Seoul Citizens' Digital Competency Survey"

Generative AI usage triples in two years

Only 2 out of 10 seniors feel prepared for the AI era

Last year, 4 out of 10 Seoul citizens reported having experience using generative artificial intelligence (AI). This figure has tripled in just two years. However, the gap between generations in terms of AI utilization and preparedness has become increasingly pronounced.

The Seoul AI Foundation announced the results of its "2025 Seoul Citizens Digital Competency Survey," which was conducted with 5,500 Seoul residents, on April 20. The findings revealed that the use of generative AI has become commonplace among Seoul citizens and that digital competency has improved. Nevertheless, clear generational gaps were observed in both the use and preparedness for AI.

Overall, digital competency among Seoul citizens has improved compared to 2023. The "digital information literacy" category showed the largest increase, rising from 53.8 points to 57.6 points. The "digital safety" category also rose from 49.6 points to 51.7 points. There were also slight increases in digital service utilization (from 68.1 to 68.2 points), digital device utilization (from 67.0 to 68.1 points), and digital ethics (from 62.1 to 64.1 points) compared to 2023.

Generative AI is rapidly becoming a part of daily life. According to the survey, 43.2% of Seoul citizens have experience using generative AI. This marks a 27.8 percentage point increase from 2023 (15.4%), effectively tripling in two years. By age group, 63.9% of those under 55 have used generative AI, compared to only 12.2% among older adults, highlighting a significant generational gap in usage.

The proportion of paid generative AI users was 10.6%. By age, the rate was 23.8% for those in their 20s, 20.1% for those in their 30s, and 11.2% for those in their 40s, indicating that younger age groups are more likely to pay for generative AI services.

The most common purpose for using generative AI was "information search" (92.2%), followed by "everyday conversation" (65.2%) and "document work" (44.0%). Notably, the use of generative AI for "everyday conversation" increased by 42.9 percentage points compared to 2023, indicating that its use is expanding beyond information retrieval into daily communication.

Only 46.8% of citizens said they felt "prepared" for the AI era, meaning that more than half still feel unprepared. The generational gap was especially evident: 65.0% of those under 55 responded that they were prepared, whereas only 19.6% of older adults felt ready for the AI era, with just 2 out of 10 seniors considering themselves prepared.

When asked about the impact of AI, both positive and negative views emerged. Positive effects included "easier information search and understanding" (89.5%) and "improvement in everyday convenience" (84.8%). On the negative side, concerns were raised about the "weakening of creative thinking and judgment skills" (84.1%) and "social conflict due to deepfakes and biased information" (82.3%).

The rate of kiosk usage was 87.7%, which is a 6.0 percentage point increase from 2023, and there was also a significant rise among older adults. Kiosk usage among the elderly increased from 57.1% in 2023 to 71.7% in 2025, a 14.6 percentage point jump, with the largest increase seen among those aged 65 and above. However, 63.3% of older adults still reported experiencing inconvenience when using kiosks. The main reasons cited were "difficulty applying choices" (50.9%) and "feeling pressure from people waiting behind them" (47.2%).

To support digitally vulnerable groups, the Seoul Metropolitan Government operates various forms of digital support systems, including Seoul Digital Companion Plazas (5 locations), Seoul AI Digital Learning Centers (7 locations), Neighborhood Digital Information Centers (78 locations), and 124 digital guides.

Kim Manki, Chairman of the Seoul AI Foundation, stated, "Based on these survey results, we will continue to support all citizens in making their lives more convenient and efficient through AI, and strive to create a Seoul that moves forward together with AI."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.