Spending on AI and information subscriptions is growing rapidly as customers show a willingness to pay a recurrent fee, not just for physical products and services, but for tools which help them make decisions, increase their knowledge, and manage their everyday lives.
The latest Bank of America data shows reading and information subscriptions, including AI-related services, were among the fastest-growing subscription categories in 2026, with particularly strong growth among Gen Z and younger millennials. What’s interesting is that these consumers aren’t subscribing to content in the traditional sense. They’re paying monthly fees for tools that help them write, study, code, research, create images, analyse data and make decisions – indicating a shift from subscriptions focused on consumption to subscriptions focused on productivity.
Why this matters
For years, growth in the subscriptions economy has come from ‘traditional’ categories such as streaming, retail memberships, grocery and beauty boxes, and music. But AI potentially sits outside this. A ChatGPT, Claude or Perplexity subscription is not really a media subscription, nor a software licence in the traditional sense. Consumers are paying for an always-available assistant that helps them perform tasks.
While the industry may be watching to see if this becomes as large a category as streaming became in the 2010s, it has the potential to be a significant disruptor. A subscription to Claude, ChatGPT etc could replace a number of existing subscriptions – for example, instead of paying for study guides or specialist writing tools, consumers could simply use their AI subscription.
Gen Z leads the way
The fact that Bank of America’s figures shows particularly strong growth among younger consumers suggests AI subscriptions may follow the same pattern as streaming services, which were initially embraced by younger demographics before reaching the mainstream.
Retailers are already experimenting with AI-powered shopping assistants, personalised recommendations and subscription-based premium services. The long-term question is whether retailers eventually bundle AI into existing memberships, much as Amazon bundles video, music and delivery into Prime.
The shift suggests that the subscription economy’s next phase may not be about finding more value in existing customers, or new products and services, but absorbing the opportunity – and challenge – offered by AI.
Subscribe!
Our editor carefully curates two InternetRetailing newsletters a week filled with up-to-date news, analysis and research. In addition to this, there is a dedicated newsletter focusing on the subscription economy every second Wednesday – click here to subscribe for free. And why not follow us on LinkedIn to receive the latest updates on our research and analysis?
