CIM Establishment Survey 2026: AI adoption surges as traditional media maintain strong reach

CIM has published the Establishment Survey 2026 (ES26), its annual study of media consumption and device ownership in Belgium. The study is based on 7,283 respondents aged 12 and over, with fieldwork conducted between 1 May 2025 and 31 March 2026.

AI adoption recorded the strongest growth: 40.4% of Belgians now use AI applications, an increase of 15 percentage points compared with the previous year. However, differences between population groups are widening, with a 37-percentage-point gap between those with the highest and lowest levels of education.

Traditional media continue to achieve substantial reach, increasingly alongside digital channels. Live television reaches 69.3% of Belgians, rising to 84.7% when broadcasters' websites and apps are included. FM radio reaches 44.2% of the population, while audio streaming services have grown to 36.7% (+3.4 percentage points).

WhatsApp is the most widely used platform, reaching 75.6% of Belgians, followed by YouTube (65.0%) and Facebook (63.9%). Smartwatches are also included in the survey for the first time: 31.3% of Belgians live in a household with at least one smartwatch.

The key finding of ES26 is that the digital divide is increasingly defined not by access to technology, but by how different population groups use media and digital applications.

The full study, including all results and insights, has been published by CIM and can be accessed via the source link below this article.