OpenAI has released a new study with Harvard economist David Denning, offering the most detailed look yet into how people use ChatGPT. Drawing on internal data from over 700 million users generating 2.6 billion daily messages, the paper highlights rapid adoption, shifting demographics, and evolving use cases.
Weekly active users of ChatGPT’s consumer plans (Free, Plus, Pro) grew from just over 100 million in early 2024 to more than 700 million by September 2025 — nearly 10% of the world’s adult population. Daily message volume climbed from 451 million in June 2024 to 2.6 billion a year later. However, usage per long-term user is showing signs of plateauing. Most growth now comes from new users rather than increased engagement from existing ones.
Key insights from the study include:
- Demographics: Nearly half of users (46%) are between 18–25 years old. Since its launch, ChatGPT’s gender balance has shifted from 80% male to a slight female majority (52.4%).
- Use cases: Non-work tasks dominate, accounting for 72.2% of messages, up from 53% a year earlier.
- Writing assistance: 28% of all conversations involve writing support, rising to 42% in work-related tasks. Editing and critiquing text is more common than generating new writing.
- Search and decision-making: 24.4% of usage involves seeking information, while 14.9% of work-related interactions focus on making decisions or solving problems, suggesting ChatGPT is used more as an advisor than a task executor.
- Smaller niches: Programming (4.2%), creative ideation (3.9%), and multimedia creation (6%) make up a relatively small share of overall activity.
While ChatGPT adoption is expanding rapidly, OpenAI’s data indicates that growth depends heavily on onboarding new users. Sustaining engagement among established cohorts may prove to be the company’s next major challenge.
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