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How People Use ChatGPT

The Surprising Ways People Actually Use ChatGPT

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How People Use ChatGPT

Since ChatGPT's launch, we've heard endless speculation about artificial intelligence's impact on work, society, and human potential. However, we've lacked comprehensive data on how people are actually using this transformative technology in their daily lives. A study from OpenAI's Economic Research team and Harvard economist David Deming offers a detailed view yet into how 700 million weekly active users are integrating ChatGPT into their lives.


The Democratization of AI

Perhaps the most heartening finding from this landmark study is how AI adoption is becoming truly democratic. The early gender gap that characterized ChatGPT's user base has narrowed dramatically. In January 2024, only 37% of users with classifiable names had typically feminine names. By July 2025, that number had risen to more than half (52%), bringing ChatGPT's user demographics in line with the general adult population.

Even more inspiring is the global adoption pattern. ChatGPT is experiencing especially rapid growth in low and middle-income countries, with adoption rates in the lowest-income countries growing more than four times faster than in the highest-income nations. This suggests that AI is not just a tool for the privileged but is becoming a truly global technology that can help bridge rather than widen existing divides.


Pillars of Daily Usage

When researchers analyzed 1.5 million conversations, they discovered that ChatGPT usage coalesces around three fundamental activities that reflect how people navigate their daily lives:

Practical Guidance: Users turn to ChatGPT for help with everyday challenges, from planning their day to solving specific problems. This category represents a significant portion of the three-quarters of conversations that focus on core daily tasks.

Seeking Information: Traditional search engines have long been our go-to for information retrieval, but ChatGPT is increasingly becoming the first stop for people seeking answers. Whether researching current events, looking up product information, or exploring new topics, users value the conversational nature of getting information from ChatGPT.

Writing: The third major category encompasses everything from drafting emails to creating documents. Writing assistance has become particularly valuable in professional settings, where it serves as the most common work-related task people perform with ChatGPT.


The Three Modes of Interaction

The study reveals a fascinating framework for understanding how people interact with ChatGPT, categorized into three distinct modes:

Asking (49% of usage): Nearly half of all interactions involve people seeking advice or guidance. This is the fastest-growing category and suggests that users value ChatGPT most as an advisor rather than merely a task-completion tool. People are turning to ChatGPT for help with decisions, recommendations, and insights that require nuanced understanding.

Doing (40% of usage): This category captures task-oriented interactions where users enlist ChatGPT to generate outputs or complete practical work. About one-third of this usage occurs in work contexts, including drafting text, planning projects, and even programming. This mode highlights ChatGPT's role as a productivity enhancer.

Expressing (11% of usage): The smallest but still significant category involves interactions that are neither asking nor doing. These conversations typically involve personal reflection, exploration, and play, suggesting that ChatGPT serves as a space for creativity and self-expression, not just utility.


The Dual Impact

Contrary to the narrative that ChatGPT is primarily a business tool, the study reveals that approximately 70% of consumer usage occurs outside of work contexts, with only about 30% being work-related. Both categories continue to grow, underscoring ChatGPT's dual role as both a productivity tool and a source of value in daily life.

This split suggests that ChatGPT's economic impact extends beyond traditional workplace productivity metrics. Much of the value it creates occurs in personal contexts that traditional measures like GDP fail to capture, thus helping people make better decisions, learn new skills, and navigate the complexities of modern life.


The Real Value

The study identifies decision support as the key mechanism through which ChatGPT creates economic value. By helping people improve their judgment and productivity, especially in knowledge-intensive jobs, ChatGPT is becoming an indispensable tool for navigating an increasingly complex world.

What's particularly encouraging is how usage deepens over time. As users discover new applications and capabilities, their engagement with ChatGPT grows. This suggests that the relationship between humans and AI is not static but evolves as people find increasingly sophisticated ways to integrate these tools into their lives.


A Technology for Everyone

The findings from this comprehensive study paint a picture of ChatGPT not as a revolutionary force that will upend society, but as a profoundly practical tool that people are integrating into their daily lives in remarkably ordinary ways. The closing of demographic gaps and rapid global adoption suggest that AI is fulfilling its promise as a democratizing force.

As we look toward the future of artificial intelligence, this research suggests we should focus less on dramatic scenarios and more on understanding how these tools are already helping people solve real problems. The story of ChatGPT's first three years is not about technology replacing human intelligence, but about augmenting human capability in ways that are both deeply personal and profoundly practical.

In the end, the most important finding may be the simplest: AI technology, when made accessible and useful, becomes part of the fabric of daily life for hundreds of millions of people. That's a step toward a future where everyone has access to the tools they need to unlock their potential.


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