"ChatGPT has a broad-based impact on the global economy."
New data from OpenAI has revealed how people are actually using ChatGPT.
The report, conducted with the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), is the largest study of its kind.
It shows that since November 2022, around 49% of all ChatGPT requests have been from users asking questions and seeking advice.
Researchers found that more than 70% of usage was non-work related. By contrast, professional use accounted for just 30%.
Researchers wrote in the study:
“Overall, our findings suggest that ChatGPT has a broad-based impact on the global economy.
“The fact that non-work usage is increasing faster suggests that the welfare gains from generative AI usage could be substantial… Within work usage, we find that users currently appear to derive value from using ChatGPT as an adviser or research assistant, not just a technology that performs job tasks directly.”
The study is the first to analyse internal ChatGPT message data, with OpenAI stating that privacy-preserving techniques were used to protect user information.
Around 10% of the world’s population is now thought to use the tool.
Patterns of use have also shifted since the chatbot’s release.
Early adopters of AI tended to be men, with around 80% of weekly users having typically masculine first names in the months after ChatGPT was released.
But by June 2025, users were more likely to have typically female first names, something the authors described as a “dramatic shift”.
The study also found that men and women use the chatbot differently.
Users with more typically feminine names were more likely to turn to ChatGPT for practical guidance and writing help. Those with masculine names used it more for technical support and multimedia.
Other firms have published similar findings.
Anthropic AI, which runs Claude, reported that income strongly affects AI use. Affluent countries such as Singapore and Canada rank among the highest adopters, while Indonesia, India and Nigeria reported lower use.
In the US, adoption patterns even reflected state economies.
Claude’s data showed that every 1% rise in GDP was linked to a 1.8% increase in AI use.
States also used the technology in ways that matched their industries. In California, it was often applied to IT, in Florida to financial services, and in Washington DC to editing and career support.
AI literacy consultant Sarah J Lundrigan said the “blunt truth” is: “If you’re still treating AI as ‘something to try later’, you’re behind.
“The value isn’t in futuristic features – it’s in solving today’s friction points.
“The winners will be the ones who can simplify adoption, reduce overwhelm, and make AI part of how people work and live.”
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