Older adults are adopting AI faster than expected, Media Logic survey finds

Media Logic’s latest survey of adults 63 to 75 found AI use more than doubled in a year as digital confidence rose and concern fell. The findings suggest healthcare and Medicare marketers need to reach older consumers across search, social, video and TV rather than relying on a single channel.

Why it matters: - Media Logic’s latest Consumer in Sight survey suggests older adults are adopting AI and digital tools faster than many marketers assume. - The results matter for Medicare and healthcare advertisers because digital confidence, not age, appears to be driving behavior. - The study also shows that no single channel controls the path to purchase for this audience.

What happened: - Media Logic USA, LLC released its 9th annual Consumer in Sight survey of older adult media preferences. - The study surveyed 625 nationally representative respondents from April 22 to May 1, 2026. - AI adoption among adults ages 63 to 75 rose from 16% to 34% in one year. - The report is titled "An Audience In Motion: 2026 Media Behaviors of Older Adults: Digital Confidence, AI Adoption, and the Channels That Reach Them."

The details: - Forty-one percent of respondents rated their technology skills in the top tier, up five percentage points from 2025. - Adults ages 69 to 75 were just as likely as those ages 63 to 68 to rate their skills in the top tier. - Smartphones led computers as the primary device for internet access, 64% to 51%. - Concern about AI fell from 55% to 43% year over year. - High-confidence respondents were nearly 10 times as likely to be active AI users as low- or no-confidence respondents. - Eighty-five percent of respondents who called themselves AI skeptics were already using AI through tools such as voice assistants and Google’s AI-generated search summaries. - Fifty-seven percent were aware that Google displays AI summaries, and a majority said they read them rather than skipping them. - Fifty-three percent of respondents research online before making a decision. - Forty-five percent first learn about products through Google Search, and 58% first encounter them through social media. - Facebook leads social media with 72% daily use. - YouTube has emerged as a strong second platform, gaining in time spent and trust. - The full report and additional findings are available here.

Between the lines: - Denise Carney-Jones, Group Director and Healthcare Practice Lead at Media Logic, said the biggest takeaway is that the label "AI" changes reactions more than the technology itself. - The survey points to a perception gap: many older adults are already using AI-powered tools without recognizing them as AI. - The data also suggests marketers may need to sell credibility across multiple touchpoints instead of assuming one channel will carry the message.

What's next: - Media Logic says campaigns that build trust across TV, digital, social and search are likely to outperform single-channel approaches. - The company’s next implication for healthcare marketers is to frame tools by function, not by technical label, when possible. - Marketers targeting older adults will likely keep watching how YouTube, Google Search and Facebook shift within this audience.

The bottom line: - Older adults are not sitting out AI. They are adopting it, often quietly, and their digital behavior is becoming more important for healthcare marketing planning.