OpenAI has recently released its three-year usage report on ChatGPT, a study conducted by the economic research team at OpenAI in collaboration with Harvard scholar David Deming. For the first time, it reveals the actual usage of this AI through internal data. As of July this year, weekly active users of ChatGPT have exceeded 700 million, processing 2.6 billion messages daily, showing astonishing growth.
**Mainstream Usage: Writing Assistance Rules**
The report shows that the most common function of ChatGPT is ‘writing assistance,’ such as helping users edit emails, polish presentations, translate texts, or draft social media posts, accounting for approximately 24% of total conversation volume. Interestingly, most users are not asking the AI to create from scratch; rather, they use it to modify and optimize their own content, indicating that ChatGPT has become an effective tool to enhance digital content quality.
**User Profile: Young People Hold Half the Weight**
The age demographic of users is noticeably younger, with 18 to 25-year-olds making up the largest group at about 46%. Users under 26 contribute nearly half of the conversation volume. The gender ratio has also changed — while initially 80% of users were male, now female users have outnumbered, almost eliminating the gender gap. Overall, ChatGPT has become integrated into the daily lives of the younger generation.
**Normalization Trend: Non-Work Usage Surges**
Compared to last year, the share of ChatGPT used for ‘non-work purposes’ continues to increase, reaching 72.2% this year. Everyday tasks such as information searching, fitness planning, recipe finding, and brainstorming have become mainstream scenarios. In contrast, the proportion of technical support (e.g., coding, data analysis) is gradually declining, showing that users are placing more emphasis on the practical value of AI in daily life.
**Three Main Usage Types**
– Practical Guidance (28.8%): Fitness plans, creative ideas, skill teaching, etc.
– Information Searching (24.4%): People/events, product inquiries, recipe searches, etc.
– Writing and Editing (24%): Emails, presentations, social media posts, etc.
**Conclusion and Observations**
This report confirms that ChatGPT is no longer the domain of engineers or professionals but rather a daily tool for the public. Writing assistance, information inquiry, and life planning have become the mainstay, with young people being the primary users. With the increase of female users and the surge in non-work usage, ChatGPT has subtly changed the way people access information and express themselves. The report by OpenAI and the Harvard team provides the most direct testimony to the true nature of AI-human interaction.
