Robert Hart is a London-based reporter at The Verge covering all things AI and Senior Tarbell Fellow. Previously, he wrote about health, science and tech for Forbes.
Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.
OpenAI this week released what it says is the largest study yet of how people are using ChatGPT, revealing fresh insights on who is using the technology and what they are using it for.
The big surprise was finding out that most ChatGPT chats aren’t about work. In June 2025, 73 percent of ChatGPT messages were non-work related, up from 53 percent a year earlier, the 62-page report said.
Younger people remain the core users of ChatGPT, the researchers said, accounting for 46% of the messages in OpenAI’s dataset.
Research and advice, not tasks, dominate conversations. Around half of messages involve asking for advice or information and around a third ask ChatGPT to complete a task.
The composition and purpose of ChatGPT messages has changed over time. Image: NBER
Most people use ChatGPT for writing, practical guidance, or seeking information. Writing rules the day at work, making up 40 percent of chats, but has sunk to third place for non-work chats.
Writing has become less popular among non-work users over time. Image: NBER
Writing remains the most popular ChatGPT use case at work. Image: NBER
The gender gap has also narrowed. While men previously dominated, a slight majority of users now appear to be women. Some 52 percent now have typically feminine first names, the report said, up from 37 percent in January 2024.
The proportion of women using ChatGPT has grown since the chatbot was launched. Image: NBER
There are differences in how men and women use ChatGPT too. Users with feminine names are more likely to use it for writing and practical guidance, while users with masculine names are more likely to seek information and technical help or use it for multimedia.
Data suggests that women and men may use ChatGPT in different ways. Image: NBER