OpenAI and Harvard economist David Deming today released a large study about ChatGPT usage. The analysis of 1.5 million conversations shows that the chatbot is no longer a niche tool:
- Adoption is broadening globally.
- Gender gaps are closing.
- Most people use it for everyday tasks like writing, information-seeking, and practical guidance.
- While 30% of chats are work-related, ChatGPT is used daily in personal and professional life.
Who’s using ChatGPT. In January 2024, 37% of ChatGPT users had typically feminine names. By July 2025, it was 52% – mirroring the adult population.
- Usage of ChatGPT in low-income countries grew 4x faster than in high-income countries.
What people use ChatGPT for. Everyday tasks dominate – 3 in 4 chats are about writing, information-seeking, and practical guidance. Patterns of use:
- Asking (49%): Advice, information.
- Doing (40%): Drafting, planning, programming.
- Expressing (11%): Reflection, exploration, play.
Work vs. life. Thirty percent of consumer usage is work-related, 70% is non-work.
- Writing is the top professional use; coding and self-expression remain niche.
- Decision support (guiding decisions and streamlining tasks) is a key way people use ChatGPT.
Why we care. ChatGPT isn’t just for work – it’s becoming part of everyday life (like Google has been for many of us since the mid-2000s). ChatGPT’s spread across demographics and geographies makes it look less like a niche tech fad and more like a core technology shaping how people think, work, and live.
The blog post. How people are using ChatGPT
The paper. How People Use ChatGPT (PDF download required to view)