Stanford Study: Give up AI for a month for $500?

Using online choice experiments with representative samples of US adults fielded in July 2025 and March 2026, the authors estimate willingness to accept compensation for giving up access to generative AI chatbot tools for one month. Mean WTA rose from $98 in 2025 to $124.50 in 2026 (a 27% increase) while the median rose from $3.4 to $11.40, and combined with user base growth from 98 million to 115 million, these imply aggregate consumer surplus increased from $116 billion to $172 billion. Usage frequency was the strongest predictor of WTA, followed by workplace use and paid subscription status, with additional differences by gender, age, and ethnicity.