OpenAI's Groundbreaking Study Reveals Shifting Trends in ChatGPT Usage
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What do people actually use ChatGPT for? OpenAI provides some numbers.
As someone who writes about the AI industry relatively frequently for this site, there is one question that I find myself constantly asking and being asked in turn, in some form or another: What do you actually use large language models for? Today, OpenAI's Economic Research Team went a long way
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Most People Use ChatGPT for Personal Life, Not Work, According to a New OpenAI Study
Macy has been working for CNET for coming on 2 years. Prior to CNET, Macy received a North Carolina College Media Association award in sports writing. When ChatGPT first launched in November 2022, parent company OpenAI pitched it as a productivity tool and a game-changer for delegating menial work
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OpenAI: Women Make Up 'More Than Half' of ChatGPT Users
Don't miss out on our latest stories. Add PCMag as a preferred source on Google. OpenAI is pulling the curtain back on what people are talking to ChatGPT about in a new research paper that acknowledges "little is known" about how large language model (LLM) chatbots are being used. The 63-page
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OpenAI releases first-of-kind study revealing how people are using ChatGPT for everyday tasks
Illustration of the ChatGPT App on the iOS App Store displayed on a phone screen. Despite rapid adoption of large language models like OpenAI's ChatGPT, few comprehensive studies have delved into exactly how the technology is being used in everyday life -- that is, until now. On Tuesday,
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OpenAI reveals how people really use ChatGPT: personal tasks over work, women users outnumber men
Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust. In brief: There are around 700 million people actively using ChatGPT each week, sending around 29,000 messages per second - so what are these people actually using the chatbot for? OpenAI has just
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OpenAI Reveals How (and Which) People Are Using ChatGPT
Large language models largely remain black boxes in terms of what is happening inside them to produce the outputs that they do. They have also been a bit of a black box in terms of who is using them and what they are doing with them. OpenAI, with some help from the National Bureau of Economic
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Here's what the data says people ask ChatGPT
OpenAI released the first detailed public study on who uses its chatbot and what they most often ask it to do. SAN FRANCISCO -- ChatGPT-maker OpenAI released the first detailed study of what its users do with the popular chatbot and who they are, providing an unprecedented look at how people use
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1.1 million ChatGPT messages analyzed -- here's what most people are asking
A new study from OpenAI analyzed more than 1.1 million real ChatGPT messages, and it turns out, the primary use for the AI tool is not at the office. ChatGPT is now being used more for everyday tasks, such as staying fit, preparing meals and helping kids with homework. The researchers looked at
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OpenAI reveals biggest-ever study of how people are using ChatGPT - here are 3 things we've learned
The survey was conducted by OpenAI's Economic Research team and Harvard economist David Deming Open AI just revealed the results of its largest-ever ChatGPT usage study to date, and the insights into how people interact with the AI chatbot are fascinating. Revealing the study on its blog, OpenAI
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Women use ChatGPT as much as men do
Why it matters: Closing the gender gap helps ensure women aren't left behind as AI reshapes work and life. In the first few weeks after its release, OpenAI estimated that as many as 80% of users were male, according to the report. * More recent data from June found slightly more usage among those
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OpenAI's biggest research on human-ChatGPT talks will surprise you
Think a lot of people are secretly pouring their heart out to an AI chatbot? Nope. OpenAI has released its biggest analysis to date about the usage habits of ChatGPT. In a research paper courtesy of the company's Economic Research team and Harvard economist David Deming, the company analyzed 1.5
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Here's what's in OpenAI's largest study on ChatGPT users
ChatGPT is the most popular AI chatbot in the world. At the end of July, its weekly active users made up nearly 10% of the world's adult population, a report found. OpenAI's economic research team -- the chatbot's owner -- with a Harvard economist released Monday a National Bureau of Economic
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The most common reasons why people use ChatGPT
In a first-of-its-kind study, ChatGPT's parent company OpenAI says it knows what people are asking its chatbot to do. People mostly use ChatGPT for everyday tasks, according to a new study by the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot maker OpenAI. A random sample of 1.5 million conversations
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OpenAI wants to transform business. Many of its users just want life hacks
During its early years, OpenAI looked like it might build a business selling access to its increasingly powerful AI models to Fortune 500 companies. But when ChatGPT launched (almost by surprise) in late 2022, the startup suddenly had a breakout consumer product -- one that raced to 100 million
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What Has ChatGPT Become?
For the first time since its debut in 2022, a large trove of user data from ChatGPT has been made available to researchers, who attempted to answer a straightforward -- but contentious and heavily obfuscated -- question: What are most people doing with ChatGPT, most of the time? There are a few
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Here's How People Are Actually Using ChatGPT, According to OpenAI
Since its launch in November 2022, ChatGPT has changed the way people write emails, manage their social media accounts, and generate code. Now, a new report from ChatGPT-maker OpenAI is giving fresh insight into how people are really using the chatbot. OpenAI's researchers published a 64-page
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OpenAI Spills The Beans On ChatGPT: How People Worldwide Are Using The Tool For Writing, Learning, And Daily Life
When OpenAI first introduced ChatGPT, the AI chatbot, many were uncertain about its practical use and questioned whether it had any real purpose and value. Despite the initial wondering, the platform gained momentum quickly, and fast forward to today, it has expanded extensively, and users are
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OpenAI Says 70% of ChatGPT Use is Non-Work Related | 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. The research, released Wednesday (Sept. 16) as part of what is being called a
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Over 70% ChatGPT Interactions Are Non-Work, Says OpenAI
MediaNama's Take: The NBER-OpenAI study highlights the sheer scale of ChatGPT adoption. By mid-2025, nearly 10% of the global adult population was using the chatbot, with non-work interactions growing to over 70%. Yet this rapid expansion also exposes deep structural risks. As usage tilts towards
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How people use ChatGPT? OpenAI releases detailed report on user queries
Just under three years since it exploded onto the global stage, ChatGPT has become a household name. But behind the billions of queries and headlines about AI revolutionizing work, a fundamental question has remained largely unanswered: What are people actually doing with it? Now, for the first
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OpenAI's first comprehensive study on ChatGPT usage unveils surprising trends in user demographics and application preferences. The research highlights a shift towards personal use and provides insights into the AI's economic impact.
OpenAI's Groundbreaking Study on ChatGPT Usage
OpenAI's Economic Research Team, in collaboration with Harvard economist David Denning, has released a comprehensive study on ChatGPT usage, providing unprecedented insights into how people interact with large language models (LLMs)
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. This first-of-its-kind research, based on internal user data, offers a reliable window into the usage statistics of the world's most popular LLM application.
Source: Digit
Rapid Growth and Evolving User Base
The study reveals that ChatGPT has experienced explosive growth, with weekly active users on consumer plans surpassing 700 million, representing nearly 10% of the world's adult population
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. Daily message processing has increased from 451 million in June 2024 to over 2.6 billion in June 20255
.Interestingly, the user demographics have shifted significantly. While early adopters were predominantly male, the current user base shows a slight majority of female users (52.4%)
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. The study also highlights that 46% of users are between 18 and 25 years old3
.Shift from Work to Personal Use
One of the most striking findings is the shift in ChatGPT's usage patterns. Initially pitched as a productivity tool for work-related tasks, the AI has seen a significant increase in personal use. Non-work related messages have grown from 53% in mid-2024 to 73% by mid-2025
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Source: TechRadar
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Popular Use Cases
The study categorizes ChatGPT's usage into several key areas:
Source: NYMag
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Practical Guidance (28.8%): This includes tutoring, 'how-to' advice, health and fitness tips, and creative ideation
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Seeking Information (24%): Users increasingly turn to ChatGPT as an alternative to traditional search engines
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Writing (25%): While still significant, writing tasks have decreased from over a third of usage last year
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Economic Impact and Future Implications
The researchers suggest that ChatGPT's broad-based impact on the global economy could be substantial. The increasing non-work usage indicates potential welfare gains from generative AI
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.OpenAI's Chief Economist, Aaron Chatterji, noted that this trend provides insight into where the value of AI lies and how it's evolving
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.As ChatGPT continues to integrate into various aspects of users' lives, it will be crucial to monitor its evolving impact on work, personal productivity, and societal norms. The study marks a significant step in understanding the real-world applications and implications of large language models.
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