ChatGPT reaches 88% usage in Israel, beating Instagram
Study highlights shift from social media to AI-driven digital behavior.
AI has officially transitioned from a technological novelty to a cornerstone of daily life in Israel. A new study shows that generative AI platforms have reached near-ubiquity, with ChatGPT now reporting higher adoption than major social media platforms such as Instagram.
The most striking finding of the 2026 report is the continued rapid growth of ChatGPT, which has reached an 88% usage rate among the Israeli public. This represents a 3% increase from 2025 and places the OpenAI platform ahead of Instagram, which stands at 82%. Adoption is even higher among young adults (ages 18-34), where usage reaches 90%. Even among Israelis aged 55 and older, adoption remains high at 82%.
However, according to the “Israel Digital Trends 2026” report released by the Israel Internet Association and conducted in May 2026 by the Geocartography Research Institute, while more people are using the service, intensity of use has shifted. Daily usage of ChatGPT fell by 11%, settling at 35% of users.
Google’s Gemini has also seen rapid growth, cementing its position as the second most popular AI tool in Israel. Gemini usage rose from 49% in 2025 to 73% in 2026, with nearly 80% of younger users (ages 18-34) reporting regular use. In contrast, Microsoft’s Copilot remained stable, holding a 28% usage rate, unchanged from the previous year.
The influence of AI is extending beyond productivity and entertainment into civic engagement. With elections approaching, the report found that one-quarter of the Israeli public (25%) is considering or intends to use AI tools to help decide which party to vote for.
The trend reveals a significant sectoral divide: 39.6% of respondents in the Arab sector expressed openness to using AI for voting decisions, compared with 22.2% in the Jewish sector. According to researchers Dr. Asaf Wiener and Yarden Amir, these findings highlight how AI is fundamentally reshaping the “information environment” and the ways Israelis consume and process critical information.
While AI dominates the headlines, the report also provides a snapshot of traditional digital habits. WhatsApp remains the undisputed leader of Israel’s digital landscape, with a 99% usage rate, followed by YouTube (98%) and Facebook (90%).
However, several long-standing platforms are showing signs of fatigue. TikTok, while maintaining a 59% overall usage rate, saw a sharp 21% decline in daily users, falling from 55% in 2025 to 34% in 2026. Similarly, X (formerly Twitter) continued its multi-year decline, dropping another 3%. Telegram and LinkedIn also recorded decreases, with usage falling by 4% each, to 32% for LinkedIn and slightly lower for Telegram.
“The data clarifies just how embedded digital services and social networks have become in the lives of Israelis,” noted the study’s editors. They emphasized that while traditional social networks show slow growth or stagnation, the significant penetration of generative AI into daily habits is the defining trend of 2026.
