ChatGPT at Three: How OpenAI's Chatbot Revolutionized Information Discovery

OpenAI reveals ChatGPT's most popular features - and the top one might surprise you

The most-used ChatGPT task at work is editing and critiquing text ChatGPT turns three years old on Sunday 30 November, and to celebrate, OpenAI has decided to share some statistics it's been holding close to its chest about how people use the world's favourite AI tool. ChatGPT launched as a fairly unknown "research preview" back in 2022, and today it's the most popular chatbot on the planet, answering around 29,000 messages per second. According to OpenAI, 800 million people a week use it for everything from planning their next road trip to picking out the ripest produce in a grocery store. But how do we use ChatGPT? According to OpenAI, three-quarters of conversations focus on practical guidance, seeking information, and writing. For work, writing is the main use case, with the majority of requests asking ChatGPT to modify text. Specifically, that means editing, critiquing and translating rather than creating new text from scratch. When it comes to the top six ways people use ChatGPT globally, OpenAI lists them as: It's interesting that "Uploading an image" ranks higher than "Generating an image". Just as with text use at work, people appear to be uploading their own images and asking ChatGPT to improve them rather than generating entirely new AI content. If we're talking specifically about the UK, the picture changes slightly. OpenAI lists the top UK uses as: These results show that people in the UK are leaning heavily on ChatGPT for completing practical tasks, not just treating it as a novelty. While business applications like coding and analysis come in at the end of the top 10, they are far less important than general productivity tasks and life admin. Britons clearly see ChatGPT as a low-friction self-improvement tool that fills the gap between Googling and hiring an expert. As somebody who has watched ChatGPT grow from its humble origins in 2022 to a giant with 800 million weekly active users just three years later, I think we can safely say we now live in an era where ChatGPT has become ubiquitous. It's become another utility - something we reach for without a second thought when we need help or advice. Right now, shopping is fairly low on the list, but that could change fast, especially now that OpenAI has launched its own shopping research tool. If I were Amazon or Google, I'd be paying attention. The AI bubble may or may not burst, but what feels certain is that tools like ChatGPT have already become part of our everyday lives. Whatever comes next for artificial intelligence - whether that's super-powerful AGI or not - the practical, low-friction AI helpers people already rely on aren't going anywhere.

The ChatGPT effect: How AI changed the way people search for things

Three years ago, if someone needed to fix a leaky faucet or understand inflation, they usually did one of three things: typed the question into Google, searched YouTube for a how-to video or shouted desperately at Alexa for help. Today, millions of people start with a different approach: They open ChatGPT and just ask. I'm a professor and director of research impact and AI strategy at Mississippi State University Libraries. As a scholar who studies information retrieval, I see that this shift of the tool people reach for first for finding information is at the heart of how ChatGPT has changed everyday technology use. Change in searching The biggest change isn't that other tools have vanished. It's that ChatGPT has become the new front door to information. Within months of its introduction on Nov. 30, 2022, ChatGPT had 100 million weekly users. By late 2025, that figure had grown to 800 million. That makes it one of the most widely used consumer technologies on the planet.

ChatGPT at 3: Tested by a tougher AI landscape

ChatGPT, three years old, has reshaped the AI landscape and spurred intense competition. While OpenAI pursues AGI and hardware, rivals like Google have rapidly advanced their AI offerings. ChatGPT faces user engagement challenges but is evolving into an e-commerce hub and aims for significant subscription growth. ChatGPT, the world's favourite conversational bot, turned three in a world shaped by the artificial intelligence (AI) race it kicked off. Since its humble arrival in a low-key research preview on November 30, 2022, OpenAI's AI chatbot has grown into a cornerstone for capital markets, even as rivals quickly catch up. A lot has changed in these three years of ChatGPT, for better or worse. Its parent OpenAI is undergoing a structural shift while rushing to the next frontier in AI -- the human-like artificial general intelligence (AGI). It also has hardware and infrastructure ambitions on its mind, with an in-house AI chip, data centres around the world, and an AI-based device. The popular AI chatbot, with 800 million active weekly users, is at the centre of it. Pole position under threat Back in 2022, OpenAI pipped Google to be the first to roll out an AI chatbot, taking the lead in the race it kicked off. Google chief executive Sundar Pichai admitted in a recent conversation with Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff that his company did have an AI chatbot , but it was not yet launch-ready. Three years later, Google has made up for lost time. Gemini 3, its "most advanced reasoning model yet", performed better in automating website and product design, as well as writing code, than rivals. Google's image and video generation models Nano Banana and Sora are also gaining traction among users. Meanwhile, ChatGPT is struggling with a drop in user engagement. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged possible "economic headwinds" due to rising competition from Google and Anthropic. The AI major is now working towards granting users more control over how they use ChatGPT by loosening some restrictions imposed earlier this year in the backdrop of questions around mental health. Altman has promised that the platform will ensure adequate guardrails where required. Beyond AI OpenAI intends to develop ChatGPT into an ecommerce hub. In September, it added Instant Checkout and the Agentic Commerce Protocol to ChatGPT. These let users shop and pay within the chatbot, via retailers and digital transaction platforms OpenAI has collaborated with. Last month, OpenAI rolled out a new tool called "shopping research", designed for ChatGPT users who want detailed, well-researched shopping guides. The launch comes just in time for the holiday season. Business model As OpenAI shifts to a for-profit model, ChatGPT is likely to do a lot of heavy lifting. The company projected that by 2030, 8.5% of an estimated 2.6 billion weekly users, or around 220 million people, will subscribe to its chatbot, positioning it among the world's largest subscription businesses, according to a report by The Information. As of July, about 35 million users, roughly 5% of ChatGPT's weekly active base, paid for "Plus" or "Pro" plans at $20 and $200 a month, respectively, the report added.

ChatGPT Hits Its Third Year and Redefines Digital Strategy | PYMNTS.com

By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. ChatGPT and the other large language models (LLMs) that came after in short order have changed pretty much everything in the business world and as PYMNTS Intelligence research showed, it was a factor on Black Friday. Half of all shoppers, including two in three Gen Zers, used conversational artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help them complete their purchases. But the big story three years into its life is scale. PYMNTS data showed that 90% of CFOs reported very positive ROI from adopting generative AI, up sharply from 27% in March 2024, reflecting a decisive shift from pilot experiments to structured deployment. OpenAI added one million paying business subscribers between February and June 2025, bringing the total to three million across ChatGPT Enterprise, Team and Education tiers, according to PYMNTS. ChatGPT Plus maintains the highest retention rate in the category, with 71% of users continuing after six months. And for the financial services industry, which has been inconsistent in its digital transformation, generative AI is a genuine break with the past. PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster called it "the technology that broke the adoption curve" because it bypassed the usual frictions. It needed no new hardware, terminal upgrades or network rollouts. People could simply start typing. That ease of use is resetting expectations for what digital should feel like in banking, payments, fintech and retail. Webster argued that, when tied to the right problems, the value is more than incremental. PYMNTS Intelligence research, she noted, showed "a strong -- or what I might even call compelling -- positive impact from generative AI in the corporate world." A PYMNTS study revealed that companies are now treating AI as an essential part of their workforce, rather than just an experiment. Sixty large U.S. firms are reorganizing roles and responsibilities under new Chief AI Officers. The data showed that 34% of CFOs cite increased output as their top reason for adopting AI according to PYMNTS. Staying competitive comes next, at 24%, followed by improved decision-making via better data insights, at 19%. The data also revealed sharp industry divides. 48% of goods sector firms are using AI to boost output and efficiency. In contrast, 30% of service firms aimed to improve decision-making and customer experience with AI. Additionally, 42% of technology firms stated that their main goal is to maintain their competitive edge. 60% of CFOs in a PYMNTS study said their firms are at least somewhat ready to manage AI-driven change, including just 12% who believe they are very prepared. Nearly all of the rest (38%) remained neutral, indicating a lack of confidence about their ability to adapt. Executives from various sectors identified human factors as the main challenges. They pointed to skill gaps, cultural resistance, and difficulties in training. AI adoption readiness levels vary widely. 75% of tech companies felt at least somewhat prepared to handle AI's effects on the workforce. This compared to 63% of goods producers and only 48% of service firms. Companies also follow different operational strategies. In the goods sector, 30% of CFOs prioritized hiring talent with AI skills, while 26% focused on reducing staff as automation increases. Service firms tended to favor selective task automation at 25% and redesigning roles at 20%. Technology companies used a combination of upskilling, outsourcing, and targeted hiring as needed. Enterprises now monitor generative AI with tighter financial discipline. CFOs assess GenAI based on revenue gains, cost savings, cost avoidance, and risk reduction. They no longer view AI as a side tool. Instead, they incorporate it into long-term performance planning and use it to improve decision-making, operational resilience, and competitive positioning. PYMNTS data showed clear differences in ROI across industries. Information-sector firms lead the market, with 65% reporting very positive ROI because they invest heavily in customized models and advanced automation systems. Manufacturing firms follow. 56% reported active use of generative AI for production diagnostics, predictive maintenance and factory-floor optimization. These firms use AI to reduce quality issues, speed up anomaly detection and stabilize output. Roughly 1 in 3 construction companies use the technology to spot fraud or flag inconsistencies. Further analysis showed that 44% of construction firms reported the technology helps with product or service innovation. The retail sector was quick to deploy generative AI, with 71% of companies implementing it for customer-facing chatbots. These bots are crucial for handling a large number of interactions. Customer engagement affects business results in retail, so chatbots are significant tools. As they improve service delivery, personalize customer interactions, and boost operational efficiency. But retailers showed the widest performance gap. They rely heavily on conversational agents for customer engagement, but only 17% reported very positive ROI. The shortfall might be due to retailers' dependence on baseline models and limited integration into core merchandising and inventory workflows. Adoption is expanding across financial functions as well. PYMNTS Intelligence found that 82% of CFOs use or are exploring AI in accounts payable. Similar adoption patterns appear in cybersecurity, procurement, financial modeling and customer operations as generative AI becomes embedded in enterprise digital operating systems. Still, it is not all green. Enterprises face real risks, from uneven workforce readiness to gaps in model reliability and security. Some industries continue to struggle with low ROI, and many firms remain unsure about how quickly they can adapt. But these challenges are becoming more manageable as organizations gain experience and build the structures needed to deploy AI with greater control and discipline.

ChatGPT effect: In three years AI chatbot has changed way people look things up - The Economic Times

Three years ago, if someone needed to fix a leaky faucet or understand inflation, they usually did one of three things: typed the question into Google, searched YouTube for a how-to video or shouted desperately at Alexa for help. Today, millions of people start with a different approach: They open ChatGPT and just ask. I'm a professor and director of research impact and AI strategy at Mississippi State University Libraries. As a scholar who studies information retrieval, I see that this shift of the tool people reach for first for finding information is at the heart of how ChatGPT has changed everyday technology use. Change in searching The biggest change isn't that other tools have vanished. It's that ChatGPT has become the new front door to information. Within months of its introduction on November 30, 2022, ChatGPT had 100 million weekly users. By late 2025, that figure had grown to 800 million. That makes it one of the most widely used consumer technologies on the planet. Surveys show that this use isn't just curiosity - it reflects a real change in behaviour. A 2025 Pew Research Centre study found that 34% of US adults have used ChatGPT, roughly double the share found in 2023. Among adults under 30, a clear majority (58%) have tried it. An AP-NORC poll reports that about 60% of US adults who use AI say they use it to search for information, making this the most common AI use case. The number rises to 74% for the under-30 crowd. Traditional search engines are still the backbone of the online information ecosystem, but the kind of searching people do has shifted in measurable ways since ChatGPT entered the scene. People are changing which tool they reach for first. For years, Google was the default for everything from "how to reset my router" to "explain the debt ceiling." These basic informational queries made up a huge portion of search traffic. But these quick, clarifying, everyday "what does this mean" questions are the ones ChatGPT now answers faster and more cleanly than a page of links. And people have noticed. A 2025 US consumer survey found that 55 per cent of respondents now use OpenAI's ChatGPT or Google's Gemini AI chatbots about tasks they previously would have asked Google search to help them with, with even higher usage figures for the UK. Another analysis of more than 1 billion search sessions found that traffic from generative AI platforms is growing 165 times faster than traditional searches, and about 13 million US adults have already made generative AI their go-to tool for online discovery. This doesn't mean people have stopped "Googling," but it means ChatGPT has peeled off the kinds of questions for which users want a direct explanation instead of a list of links. Curious about a policy update? Need a definition? Want a polite way to respond to an uncomfortable email? ChatGPT is faster, feels more conversational and feels more definitive. At the same time, Google isn't standing still. Its search results look different than they did three years ago because Google started weaving its AI system Gemini directly into the top of the page. The "AI Overview" summaries that appear above traditional search links now instantly answer many simple questions - sometimes accurately, sometimes less so. But either way, many people never scroll past that AI-generated snapshot. This fact combined with the impact of ChatGPT are the reasons the number of "zero-click" searches has surged. One report using Similarweb data found that traffic from Google to news sites fell from over 2.3 billion visits in mid-2024 to under 1.7 billion in May 2025, while the share of news-related searches ending in zero clicks jumped from 56 per cent to 69 per cent in one year. Google search excels at pointing to a wide range of sources and perspectives, but the results can feel cluttered and designed more for clicks than clarity. ChatGPT, by contract, delivers a more focused and conversational response that prioritises explanation over ranking. The ChatGPT response can lack the source transparency and multiple viewpoints often found in a Google search. In terms of accuracy, both tools can occasionally get it wrong. Google's strength lies in letting users cross-check multiple sources, while ChatGPT's accuracy depends heavily on the quality of the prompt and the user's ability to recognise when a response should be verified elsewhere. Smart speakers and YouTube The impact of ChatGPT has reverberated beyond search engines. Voice assistants, such as Alexa speakers and Google Home, continue to report high ownership, but that number is down slightly. One 2025 summary of voice-search statistics estimates that about 34% of people ages 12 and up own a smart speaker, down from 35% in 2023. This is not a dramatic decline, but the lack of growth may indicate a shift of more complex queries to ChatGPT or similar tools. When people want a detailed explanation, a step-by-step plan or help drafting something, a voice assistant that answers in a short sentence suddenly feels limited. By contrast, YouTube remains a giant. As of 2024, it had approximately 2.74 billion users, with that number increasing steadily since 2010. Among US teens, about 90% say they use YouTube, making it the most widely used platform in that age group. But what kind of videos people are looking for is changing. People now tend to start with ChatGPT and then move to YouTube if they need the additional information a how-to video conveys. For many everyday tasks, such as "explain my health benefits" or "help me write a complaint email," people ask ChatGPT for a summary, script or checklist. They head to YouTube only if they need to see a physical process. You can see a similar pattern in more specialised spaces. Software engineers, for instance, have long relied on sites such as Stack Overflow for tips and pieces of software code. But question volume there began dropping sharply after ChatGPT's release, and one analysis suggests overall traffic fell by about 50% between 2022 and 2024. When a chatbot can generate a code snippet and an explanation on demand, fewer people bother typing a question into a public forum. So where does that leave us? Three years in, ChatGPT hasn't replaced the rest of the tech stack; it's reordered it. The default search has shifted. Search engines are still for deep dives and complex comparisons. YouTube is still for seeing real people do real things. Smart speakers are still for hands-free convenience. But when people need to figure something out, many now start with a chat conversation, not a search box. That's the real ChatGPT effect: It didn't just add another app to our phones - it quietly changed how we look things up in the first place.