Inhabitants of Nizhny Novgorod are aggressively utilizing artificial intelligence technology.
03:30 29 April
Fellow citizens of Nizhny Novgorod are embracing the digital revolution, with artificial intelligence (AI) becoming an integral part of their daily lives. According to a recent survey by MegaFon, smartphone users in our fair city are primarily utilizing AI for practical purposes. A whopping two-thirds of respondents leverage AI to plan their leisure activities, travel routes, or select a movie for their evening, but most aren't yet ready for deep, meaningful conversations with AI.
This study was conducted in April 2025, involving 3600 participants in Nizhny Novgorod and ten other major cities across Russia. The results showed that an impressive 79.1% of respondents engage with AI on a daily basis - through voice assistants, generative services, and recommendation platforms. The most common scenarios include information search (57.4%), text editing (27%), and learning (20.1%).
When it comes to leisure time, AI reigns supreme. Sixty-eight percent of respondents regularly use AI to plan their entertainment: choosing movies, discovering interesting events, and even selecting thoughtful gifts. Almost every fourth person (24.1%) follows AI recommendations for their movie and music choices, every fifth (20%) for trip planning and accommodations, and 17.8% search for entertaining content, 16.7% learn about concerts and exhibitions, and 13.3% occasionally chat with a bot. Even parties can now be custom-designed by AI, which 7.6% of respondents find useful.
Every second respondent (44.4%) regularly enhances their photos with AI. The allure of aesthetics, combined with the wide availability of tools, drives this trend. A significant number (27.1%) feel more confident sharing photos that have been refined by AI. Devices like the HONOR Magic 7 boast high-quality cameras with AI backing, from a super zoom of 15-50x to a Harcourt-style portrait mode, portrait enhancement, and functions for shooting concerts.
AI isn't limited to photography anymore; it's becoming a co-creator of creative content. An astounding 57.6% of users publish materials created or edited by AI on social media - from texts to photos.
Moreover, AI is making strides in emotional support. A quarter of respondents (28.1%) rely on it to reduce their anxiety and stress, while 38% find it a valuable ally against boredom and loneliness. Users aren't just delegating AI to decide what to watch and where to go; they're entrusting it with complex mental health issues, as 19.6% admit to finding it easier to communicate with AI than with people, and 12.2% are already consulting AI psychologists, either regularly or occasionally.
The study reveals a significant trend: Nizhny Novgorod residents, like their fellow Russians, are more inclined to delegate their daily tasks to AI than to share their innermost thoughts. Algorithms are viewed as a practical tool for routine tasks, but they cannot replicate the trust, empathy, and intuition of human interaction.
"AI is the hottest feature in smartphones right now, says Retail Commerce Directorate Director Eduard Merishavyan. Almost all major vendors presented AI-supported devices or upgrades to their operating systems last year. As a result, Russians are becoming increasingly interested in AI capabilities, as demonstrated by a 81% increase in AI-enabled device sales in our network compared to the previous year.** We anticipate this trend to intensify, with ever-growing interest in AI devices."
Pondering the impact of AI in daily life, it's clear that it's not just a matter of convenience - it's a lifestyle revolution. From banking and education to healthcare and entertainment, the possibilities are endless. In Nizhny Novgorod, we're witnessing the birth of a new era where AI is no longer a distant, futuristic concept but a tangible, transformative force shaping our daily lives.
- Despite the increasing use of AI for practical purposes in Nizhny Novgorod, most people aren't yet ready for deep, meaningful conversations with AI.
- The HONOR Magic 7, a device with AI-backed high-quality cameras, is being used to refine photos by many Nizhny Novgorod residents.
- AI is viewed as a valuable ally against boredom and loneliness by a significant number of respondents, with 38% finding it a valuable aid.
- Retail Commerce Directorate Director Eduard Merishavyan emphasizes that AI is the hottest feature in smartphones right now, with an 81% increase in AI-enabled device sales in their network compared to the previous year.
