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A new working paper released by OpenAI provides the most comprehensive look yet at how consumers are using ChatGPT, revealing a dramatic expansion of its user base and a shift toward non-work-related tasks. Based on an analysis of 1.5 million conversations from May 2024 to July 2025, the study shows that the AI chatbot is moving beyond the early adopter phase and becoming a more ubiquitous part of daily life for a wider demographic.
The working paper, produced by OpenAI’s economic research team and Harvard economist David Deming, highlights three major trends shaping ChatGPT’s evolution: a closing gender gap among users, accelerated adoption in lower-income countries, and a preference for practical, everyday applications over professional tasks.
Gender Gap Disappears As Female Users Grow
In a significant change from its early days, when roughly 80% of active users were male, the gender gap in ChatGPT usage has effectively disappeared. The study found that among users whose names could be identified as masculine or feminine, the share of female users grew from 37% in early 2024 to 52% by mid-2025.
This shift suggests that AI is reaching a broader cross-section of the population, aligning more closely with the general adult population. The study also noted subtle differences in usage patterns: female users were more likely to seek writing assistance and practical guidance, while male users leaned toward technical support and information gathering.
ChatGPT Adoption Surges in Lower-Income Countries
While high-income countries still have higher overall usage, adoption rates are accelerating fastest in lower-income countries, growing at four times the rate of their high-income counterparts. This rapid expansion suggests that generative AI is becoming increasingly accessible and important beyond the world’s most affluent nations.
Personal Tasks Overshadow Professional Use
Though coding and other technical applications remain niche uses, the study confirms that ChatGPT has evolved into an everyday utility rather than just a workplace tool. As of June 2025, 73% of consumer conversations were personal or non-work related, a notable increase from the near 50/50 split just a year earlier.
The most common use cases fall into three categories:
- Asking (49%): Seeking information and practical guidance, such as how-to advice, schoolwork help, and tips for personal projects.
- Doing (40%): Completing tasks like drafting emails, planning events, and editing text. Writing remains the most frequent work-related task.
- Expressing (11%): Involving self-reflection, creative writing, or personal communication.
ChatGPT As An “Everyday Helper”
The study’s findings suggest that for many, ChatGPT functions as a “helper for everyday tasks” rather than a technical tool. The dominance of writing, guidance, and information-seeking indicates that AI has moved past early adopter novelty and into the broader landscape of daily routines.
For OpenAI and the wider AI industry, this data signals a continued need to develop features that support these practical, everyday workflows across diverse global user bases. Despite AI limitations and hallucinations, the normalization of AI in personal life also has implications for future regulations and product development, pushing the technology further into the public consciousness
