What is ChatGPT Actually Used For?

If you have ever thought that ChatGPT is only for seeking advice on how to survive Monday and for writing nice and polite emails to your bosses, you might be surprised. Namely, OpenAI has published its largest report to date on how people actually use ChatGPT.

The data from OpenAI, collected between May 2024 and June 2025, shows that users of this tool have a much broader and more sophisticated usage that ranges from personal planning to professional content creation.

An analysis of over a million conversations shows that most messages users send to ChatGPT are actually not work-related. In June 2024, 53 percent of messages were of a ‘personal nature’, while a year later, that share grew to as much as 73 percent. Each new generation of users shows a tendency to use ChatGPT more for private than for business purposes.

Practical instructions, information seeking, and writing

However, although personal use dominates, the professional application of the tool remains significant. When analyzing the thematic structure of conversations, three main groups dominate: practical instructions, information seeking, and writing.

Practical instructions, including advice, tutorial instructions, and ‘how-to’ content, account for approximately 29 percent of all queries. Writing, which constituted 36 percent of all conversations in July 2024, fell to 24 percent in a year, while information seeking recorded growth from 14 to 24 percent. Technical assistance, including programming, mathematical calculations, and data analysis, decreased from 12 to 5 percent, while multimedia content, creation, and analysis of images increased from 2 to over 7 percent, peaking in April 2025 when OpenAI introduced new image generation capabilities.

Productivity tool

When focusing on business messages, writing becomes the most dominant activity. More than 40 percent of all work-related queries pertain to various forms of writing, while practical instructions account for 24 percent. Most requests in the writing category actually relate to modifying or refining existing content, such as document corrections, translations, or summarizing arguments. Only a smaller portion of queries pertains to the creation of entirely new content.

An analysis of message intent further clarifies how ChatGPT is used. Almost half of all messages are classified as ‘Asking’, meaning seeking information and advice, while 40 percent fall into the ‘Doing’ category, where users ask the tool to create content for them, whether it be emails, reports, code, or tables. The remaining 11 percent pertains to ‘Expressing’, which involves expressing opinions and views without economic effect. For work messages, Doing constitutes 56 percent of queries, clearly showing that employees primarily use ChatGPT as a content production tool and for task execution, while information seeking remains a secondary purpose.

Further analysis of work activities reveals that ChatGPT is most commonly used in a professional context for obtaining and documenting information, interpreting data for others, and providing advice and problem-solving. Creative thinking and working with computers also occupy a significant share, while other activities make up a smaller portion of queries. In other words, ChatGPT assists employees in tasks that require analytical and creative approaches, while routine tasks are addressed partially or in combination with the user.

The data clearly shows that ChatGPT is not just a fun addition to daily life, but a tool that provides real value in a business environment. Its ability to quickly process information, create content, and assist in decision-making makes it an interesting resource for entrepreneurs and managers. While private use is growing, professional application demonstrates how generative AI can become a key partner in productivity and innovation, provided that its application is strategically integrated into business processes.

Gender, age, and education

ChatGPT users are not a homogeneous group. Data collected from OpenAI shows that men previously dominated, especially in the first months after launch, but in the first half of 2025, there is an almost equal representation of users with typically male and typically female names, and by June 2025, users with typically female names even prevail. The analysis also shows differences in usage patterns: female users more often seek advice and refer to writing and practical instructions, while users with typically male names more frequently use the tool for technical assistance, information seeking, and working with multimedia.

User age also plays an important role. Almost half of all messages come from younger users aged 18 to 25. However, the share of work messages increases with age, while users under 26 send only 23 percent of work-related messages, older users increasingly use ChatGPT for professional tasks, with the exception of the oldest users over 66 years, among whom work messages constitute only 16 percent. Interestingly, over time, regardless of age, the use of ChatGPT for work purposes decreases, indicating a growing popularity of the tool for personal and creative activities.

Global reach

The global reach of the tool also records significant changes. ChatGPT has seen strong growth in almost all countries over the year, with the most pronounced increase visible in countries with low and middle income per capita, in the range of $10,000 to $40,000. This confirms that generative AI is becoming a globally accessible tool, increasingly present in countries where it was not widely used before.

An analysis of education and occupation shows that the tool is most commonly used by individuals with higher education levels, further confirming earlier observations from the US and Europe. The use of ChatGPT is strongly associated with professional and academic activity, but increasingly also with personal projects, learning, and creative challenges.