2026: The State of Consumer AI (Menlo Ventures, September 2026): consumer AI spend tripled to $40B

Menlo's second annual consumer survey, run with Morning Consult in July 2026, shows adoption nearly flat (61% to 64% of US adults) while spending tripled, from $12B to an estimated $40B globally. The driver is monetization of existing users: 55% of AI users now pay for at least one product, up from 3% a year ago, and the top 14% of payers account for 60% of spend. Daily use rose to 25% of adults, and 48% of users say they have earned money with AI, mostly through content creation and freelancing. Agents have crossed into mainstream behavior: 41% of users have tried one, 24% use one regularly, and 32% have let AI act without final approval. Trust is now the purchase criterion, with accuracy, trustworthiness and privacy ranked above ease of use. For consumer founders the message is that willingness to pay has arrived, but retention will hinge on reliability and on being transparent about AI-generated output, which 36% of consumers say they are less likely to engage with.