A newly published study has shed light on how consumers are using ChatGPT, revealing that the tool is far more integrated into personal routines than workplace tasks. Contrary to the perception that generative AI is primarily a corporate productivity tool, the research highlights that about 70% of ChatGPT’s usage is focused on personal needs rather than professional applications.
The findings were released as part of a working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and authored by OpenAI’s Economic Research team in collaboration with Harvard economist David Deming. By analyzing more than 1.5 million anonymized user conversations, the study provides one of the most comprehensive snapshots to date of how the technology is reshaping digital behavior on a global scale.
Personal over Professional Use
According to the report, everyday users are engaging ChatGPT for guidance, writing help, and quick information rather than specialized professional activities such as coding or complex data analysis. Personal applications range from drafting thoughtful messages and editing personal writing to seeking advice on decision-making and problem-solving.
The research found that three categories—practical guidance, writing assistance, and information-seeking—account for nearly 78% of all queries. For instance, many users rely on the AI to refine emails, craft social media posts, or provide fast answers to everyday questions. Even within writing tasks, the study observed that two-thirds of interactions focused on editing and polishing existing drafts, showing that people tend to use ChatGPT more as a collaborator to enhance their own work rather than as a tool to generate content from scratch.
By comparison, professional use was significantly smaller. Only 30% of queries were work-related, and among those, writing tasks dominated—accounting for 42% of workplace use. Coding, despite being a highly publicized feature, represented just 4.2% of overall activity. Self-reflection, another niche use case, came in even lower at 1.9%.
Scale of Global Adoption
The study also underscores the remarkable scale at which ChatGPT has been adopted worldwide. By July 2025, the platform had reached more than 700 million weekly active users, generating approximately 2.5 billion daily messages, or about 29,000 per second. This level of engagement places ChatGPT among the most widely used digital platforms globally, rivaling established social networks in terms of daily activity.
Another striking trend is the broadening of its user base across demographics. The share of users with typically feminine names rose from 37% in early 2024 to 52% by mid-2025, suggesting a narrowing gender gap in AI adoption. Moreover, usage has surged in low- and middle-income countries, where growth rates are more than four times higher than in wealthier nations. This expansion points to a global democratization of AI, making advanced technology more accessible beyond traditional early-adopter groups.
Industry Implications and OpenAI’s Perspective
The findings carry significant implications for businesses, governments, and educators. While the corporate sector has focused on deploying AI for productivity, the reality is that consumers are embedding it into daily life for personal empowerment. This raises questions about how AI will continue to influence communication, learning, and decision-making outside the workplace.
OpenAI emphasized this point in its statement accompanying the report:
“The findings show that consumer adoption has broadened beyond early-user groups, shrinking the gender gap in particular; that most conversations focus on everyday tasks like seeking information and practical guidance; and that usage continues to evolve in ways that create economic value through both personal and professional use. This widening adoption underscores our belief that access to AI should be treated as a basic right—a technology that people can access to unlock their potential and shape their own future.”
What You Should Know
- In August 2025, OpenAI marked a milestone of 700 million weekly users with the official launch of GPT-5, described as the company’s most advanced model to date.
- GPT-5 has been promoted as OpenAI’s “smartest, fastest, most useful model yet,” delivering significant improvements in reasoning, accuracy, and structured problem-solving.
- The model is already being integrated across industries, with major organizations adopting it to enhance business operations in areas such as finance, healthcare, and customer engagement.
The study ultimately shows that while ChatGPT is widely recognized as a tool for business, its greatest impact so far lies in its ability to serve individuals—helping them write better, make informed choices, and access knowledge more efficiently. This dual role of supporting both personal and professional needs may be what cements AI’s place as an everyday necessity in the digital age.
