Younger Koreans Use AI to Write, Elders to Post: Study Reveals Age-Based Divide (Image created by ChatGPT)
SEOUL, May 2 (Korea Bizwire) —A recent surge in the popularity of Ghibli-style AI-generated images has brought to light generational differences in how South Koreans engage with generative AI tools, according to a new report by the Korea Press Foundation released Thursday.
The report, published in the latest edition of Media Survey, analyzed responses from a nationwide online poll conducted by the foundation’s Media Research Center between April 17 and 21, 2025. It found that 59.5 percent of domestic users of generative AI have used the technology to convert photographs into stylized images—many inspired by the aesthetic of Studio Ghibli animations.
Among those who experimented with such image conversions, 52.4 percent reported actively using the resulting images for social media or messenger profile photos, or sharing them with others. Meanwhile, 30.9 percent said they saved the images for personal use.
Generational differences in usage were particularly notable. Among those who used AI-generated images as profile pictures, users in their 60s topped the list at 32.8 percent, while users in their 20s came in lowest at 19.6 percent. In contrast, the habit of privately storing the images was most common among 20-somethings (37.7 percent) and least common among those in their 60s (20.7 percent).
Ghibli-Style Image Created with AI (Image provided by the Korea Copyright Commission)
When extrapolating beyond just those who had used the image transformation feature and considering the broader population, the share of users employing generative AI-generated images for profile photos was highest among those in their 20s (17.1 percent), followed by users in their 30s (16.3 percent), 40s (10.7 percent), 50s (6.5 percent), and 60s (3.4 percent).
More broadly, 57.2 percent of all survey respondents said they had used generative AI within the past month, and among them, 37 percent were first-time users within that period—highlighting the influence of the Ghibli-style image trend, according to the foundation.
The survey also explored wider usage of generative AI. Information searches were the most common use case at 81 percent, followed by writing and editing (51.1 percent), image creation or retouching (51.0 percent), and translation (42.1 percent).
The generational gap extended into writing assistance as well. The use of AI for writing or editing was most prominent among respondents in their 20s (68.3 percent), gradually declining across older age groups to just 29.3 percent among those in their 60s.
The Korea Press Foundation suggested that younger generations’ reliance on AI for writing tasks may reflect growing anxiety around writing or shifts in literacy expectations.
The findings offer a nuanced view into how rapidly evolving AI tools are being integrated into daily life across South Korean demographics, particularly amid viral trends that blur the line between entertainment, communication, and personal expression.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
