New Research Shows How People Actually Use ChatGPT
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- New research breaks down ChatGPT usage behavior based on over one million messages.
- Over half of ChatGPT use cases are for learning and productivity.
- 90% of users rely on the free version of ChatGPT.
What do people actually use ChatGPT for?
It’s a question that has lingered since the tool first went viral back in 2022. Now, a new research paper from OpenAI sheds light on user behavior by analyzing a sample of 1.1 million messages from active ChatGPT users between May 2024 to July 2025.
The findings, summarized in a helpful visualization by Made Visual Daily, show that ChatGPT’s core appeal is utility: helping users solve real-world problems, write better, and find information fast.
How People Use ChatGPT
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Over 55% of ChatGPT prompts fell into either learning or productivity-related tasks. Users often turn to the chatbot for help understanding concepts, writing emails, summarizing articles, or coding. A wide base of users are using the tool as a digital assistant, tutor, or research aide.
Meanwhile, niche categories like roleplaying and entertainment make up a smaller but meaningful slice. These uses include things like fictional storytelling, game design, and writing fan fiction. Their growth points to ChatGPT’s creative potential beyond functional tasks.
Why This Study Matters
This is the first large-scale analysis that classifies how ChatGPT is actually used, rather than relying on anecdotal evidence or surveys. It also reveals how people across professions—from marketers to software developers—are integrating AI into their daily workflows.
Another key insight? Most people still use the free version of ChatGPT. Only about 10% of the prompts analyzed came from paid users of GPT-4, suggesting that even the free-tier model is driving widespread productivity.
Source: Chart: How People Actually Use ChatGPT, According to Research
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