OpenAI has released a landmark study examining how people use ChatGPT and how that usage is changing over time. Drawing on a vast dataset of 1.5 million anonymised conversations from the past three years, the report is the most comprehensive look yet at how generative AI is being adopted globally and what that means for businesses, individuals, and the wider economy.

The topline finding is clear: ChatGPT has become embedded in the digital habits of hundreds of millions of users. Weekly active usage has grown from just 1 million in late 2022 to over 700 million today. That kind of scale makes ChatGPT one of the fastest-growing consumer technologies in history.

Yet the more interesting story lies beneath the surface. OpenAI’s research shows not only who is using ChatGPT, but also how they’re using it, why, and what it reveals about changing behaviours around productivity, decision-making, and digital assistance.

ChatGPT Is a Tool for Everyday Life

The most common use cases for ChatGPT are not groundbreaking technical projects or deep coding tasks. They are, instead, far more routine. According to the report, around three-quarters of all usage falls into three categories: seeking practical guidance, requesting information, and writing.

“Practical guidance” includes tasks like how-to advice, tutoring, and general learning support. “Seeking information” covers fact-finding, product research, and even recipe searches. These two categories alone now make up nearly half of all usage and are growing fast.

Writing, once the dominant category, has declined slightly in relative terms, from 36% of usage in July 2024 to 24% in July 2025. This may suggest a maturing user base that is diversifying how it engages with the platform. While writing tasks remain important, particularly for work-related queries, users increasingly lean on ChatGPT for its advisory capabilities rather than simply asking it to generate content.

Asking Over Doing

OpenAI classifies usage into three broad interaction types: Asking, Doing, and Expressing. Asking now accounts for 49% of all messages, showing that people primarily use ChatGPT as an advisor or support system. Doing, which includes writing, coding, and task execution, sits at 40%. Expressing, which includes activities like journaling or creative play, makes up the remaining 11%.

The shift towards Asking suggests that ChatGPT’s greatest value might lie not in automating work, but in improving how people think, learn, and make decisions. This has serious implications for marketing and communications professionals, as it signals that users trust AI for ideation, problem-solving, and discovery, not just for output.

In other words, ChatGPT is becoming less of a robot assistant and more of a thinking partner.

Usage Is Broadening and Democratising

One of the more encouraging findings in the study relates to demographics. As of mid-2025, usage gaps are closing, particularly around gender. In early 2024, just 37% of users with identifiable names were female. By July 2025, that figure had risen to 52%, bringing ChatGPT’s user base more in line with the general adult population.

Geographical reach is also expanding. OpenAI reports that adoption rates in low- and middle-income countries are now growing four times faster than in high-income countries. This suggests that AI tools like ChatGPT are no longer the preserve of tech-savvy professionals in wealthy markets. They are becoming genuinely global.

For brands, agencies, and digital marketers, this broadening adoption points to a more inclusive AI future. Campaigns and content strategies that assume a Western, male, or tech-centric audience may quickly become outdated. Understanding how AI is used across diverse populations will be key to staying relevant.

The Blurred Line Between Work and Personal Use

Roughly 30% of ChatGPT usage is currently work-related. That might seem low at first glance, but the number is growing steadily, and the rest of the usage, around 70%, still generates value. Whether it’s helping someone write a job application, plan a trip, or make a purchasing decision, ChatGPT is supporting tasks that, in aggregate, have economic impact.

This is one of the most important insights from the study. Much of the value created by ChatGPT falls outside traditional productivity metrics like output per hour or GDP contribution. As AI becomes a daily utility for millions of people, it’s reshaping how value is defined.

For marketers, this means that AI touchpoints may increasingly occur in informal or non-commercial contexts. Consumers might engage with your brand via AI while doing research, comparing products, or even asking for emotional support. The funnel is no longer linear, and the role of generative AI as a discovery engine cannot be ignored.

A Platform for Decision Support

The report highlights decision support as a major driver of value. Rather than simply replacing human effort, ChatGPT enhances how people think through problems, evaluate options, and refine ideas.

This insight is especially relevant for knowledge workers, marketers included. From strategy development and campaign ideation to copy refinement and customer insights, ChatGPT is not just a tool for doing, but for thinking better.

As more users discover these benefits, engagement deepens. OpenAI’s data shows that user cohorts increase their usage over time, particularly as the models improve and as new use cases emerge.

What This Means for Digital Marketing Leaders

For senior marketers, there are several key takeaways from OpenAI’s latest research:

• AI is not just a productivity tool. It is becoming integral to how people learn, decide, and interact with information. Brands must think beyond automation and consider how to show up in AI-led discovery journeys.
• Usage is broadening fast. AI is no longer just for early adopters or knowledge workers. Campaign planning must account for a much wider and more diverse audience that uses AI in different ways.
• Content needs to be AI-friendly. With more users seeking information and guidance via tools like ChatGPT, optimising for generative AI discoverability may become as important as traditional SEO.
• Trust is the new currency. Users are turning to AI for advice and insight. Brands that want to be part of those conversations will need to earn trust through transparency, utility, and relevance.

OpenAI’s data is clear. ChatGPT isn’t just a flash-in-the-pan tech trend. It is reshaping how people live and work, with implications for every sector, including marketing.

The time to build AI-ready strategies isn’t next year. It’s now.