Generative AI has rapidly shifted from a novelty to an everyday staple for 81% of Swedes, according to the annual Swedes and the Internet 2026 report released by Internetstiftelsen (The Swedish Internet Foundation).
Other key takeaways from this year’s report include:
Usage of dedicated AI services (led by ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini) jumped from 40% in 2025 to 62% in 2026, while 71% use Google’s AI Overviews. Overall, 56% of workers and over 80% of adult students now use AI in their work or studies.
Changing Search Habits with 14% of Swedes report searching Google less often than a year ago, with 70% of those AI users attributing the drop directly to using AI tools instead.
Work & School: 56% of employed Swedes (and 71% of white-collar workers) use AI on the job. Among students aged 18 and older, usage jumps to over 80%.
80% of adults and nearly 90% of youth (12–19) get stuck in passive doomscrolling, with 44% reporting it hurts their mental health (rising to 75% among women aged 20–34). Consequently, 50% of Swedes are interested in a digital detox. 
Through this annual survey, Internetstiftelsen aims to provide independent facts on how internet use affects individuals and society, offering a data-based foundation to support decision-makers, researchers, and the public under their vision where everyone in Sweden wants, dares, and is able to use the internet.
