ChatGPT is now used by more than 700 million people every week, representing around 10% of the global adult population. The new study from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) on How People Use ChatGPT, reveals how users interact with AI and why behaviour is shifting from traditional search to conversational decision-making. This guide highlights the most important findings, explains what the numbers mean for SEO, PPC, and ecommerce, and shows how AI assisted search is reshaping user journeys.

This rise in conversational search matters because users are moving away from browsing SERPs and towards asking AI models direct questions, comparing products in-chat, and even completing purchases through Instant Checkout in Chat.

Understanding ChatGPT Usage in 2025

The NBER dataset shows rapid, global adoption. In July 2025, users sent more than 18 billion messages each week. This is equivalent to roughly 29,000 messages every second.

Three standout findings include:

  • ChatGPT now reaches around 10% of the global adult population
  • The fastest growth is coming from low and middle income countries
  • Non work usage now accounts for more than 70% of all messages

ChatGPT has shifted firmly from a productivity tool to an everyday behaviour.

For SEO and PPC, this means search journeys increasingly begin in AI environments rather than Google or product marketplaces. Users behave more like shoppers browsing an assistant rather than a search engine.

Key ChatGPT Usage Statistics for 2025

  • 700 million weekly active users
  • 2.6 billion messages sent per day
  • 70% of messages are non work related
  • 49% of messages are Asking intent
  • 40% are Doing intent
  • Only 4.2% relate to programming
  • Nearly half of all users are aged 18 to 25

Non-work messages grew faster than work messages each month. In June 2024, 53% of messages were non work related. By June 2025, this figure reached 73%.

For ecommerce brands, the growth in non work usage signals that ChatGPT is becoming a go to tool for shopping research, outfit ideas, gift planning, product comparisons, and lifestyle decisions. These are traditionally Google Shopping and social commerce moments now happening inside ChatGPT.

Source: NBER
Weekly active ChatGPT users on consumer plans (Free, Plus, Pro), shown as point-in-time snapshots every six months, November 2022–September 2025.

What People Use ChatGPT For

The research groups all conversations into seven topic categories. Three categories dominate overall usage.

  • Practical Guidance: This is the largest category, covering tailored advice, instructions, and step by step tasks.

  • Seeking Information: These queries resemble classic search engine behaviour and include requests for facts, events, product details, and general knowledge.

  • Writing and Editing: This covers email writing, document support, summaries, and editing. Two thirds of writing messages involve editing user text rather than generating new content.

Smaller categories:

  • Programming: 4.2%
  • Image and multimedia creation: growing to 7%
  • Self-expression and emotional content: less than 3%

“Seeking Information” queries often include product research, comparisons, and specification checking. For ecommerce clients, this is where visibility inside generative models becomes as important as visibility in organic search.

The growth in multimedia generation also affects consumer behaviour. Users increasingly ask ChatGPT to generate outfit visuals, interior designs, meal plans, and gift ideas, creating new entry points for brands that are not yet visible through traditional SEO.

Source: NBER
Breakdown of granular conversation topic shares within the coarse mapping defined in Table 3. The underlying classifier prompt is available in Appendix A. Each bin reports a percentage of the total population. Shares are calculated from a sample of approximately 1.1 million sampled conversations from May 15, 2024 through June 26, 2025. Observations are reweighted to reflect total message volumes on a given day. Sampling details available in Section 3.

Asking vs Doing: How User Intent Is Changing

The intent classifier groups every message into Asking, Doing, or Expressing.

  • Asking intent: 49% of all messages fall into this category. Users ask questions, seek advice, or look for clarification. Asking queries are growing the fastest.

  • Doing intent: 40% of messages involve the model performing a task, such as writing, editing, analysing data, or drafting content.

  • Expressing intent: 11% of queries involve personal reflections or conversational talk. Although small, this category has grown steadily.

For SEO, “Asking intent” aligns closely with early stage discovery and research behaviour, supporting trends noted in:

For PPC, “Asking intent” represents a new upper funnel behaviour where users gather information inside ChatGPT before clicking any ads. This creates pressure for brands to appear in AI summaries, verified product cards, and Buy in Chat integrations.

“Doing intent” is particularly relevant for ecommerce because it includes in-chat shopping lists, personalised recommendations, and the first wave of Instant Checkout transactions. This feature allows users to complete purchases directly inside ChatGPT, reducing surface area for traditional ads and product pages.

Source: NBER
Shares of messages classified as Asking, Doing, or Expressing by an automated ternary classifier. Values are averaged over a 28 day lagging window. Shares are calculated from a sample of approximately 1.1 million sampled conversations from May 15, 2024 through June 26, 2025. Observations are reweighted to reflect total message volumes on a given day. Sampling details available in Section 3.

Who Uses ChatGPT in 2025

  • Age trends: 46% of messages come from users aged 18 to 25. Older cohorts show more work related usage.

  • Gender trends: Early adoption skewed male, but usage is now evenly split. As of mid 2025, slightly more weekly users have typically feminine first names.

  • Global adoption patterns: The highest year on year growth rates come from countries with lower GDP per capita, suggesting widespread accessibility and value outside traditional tech hubs.

  • Education and occupation: Professionals in high skill roles use ChatGPT more for work tasks. Writing dominates work activity, particularly in management and business occupations.

Younger users adopting ChatGPT at scale reinforces its role as a discovery engine for ecommerce. These users already shop through TikTok Shop and Instagram Checkout, so ChatGpt’s new Instant Checkout fits naturally into their existing behaviour.

What This Means for SEO, PPC, and Ecommerce

  • Behavioural shifts in discovery: Users increasingly seek personalised, immediate answers within ChatGPT rather than scanning traditional SERPs.

  • Product research inside chat: People compare products, ask for recommendations, and evaluate options inside the model. This trend supports findings in ChatGPT Turns Conversation into Commerce.

  • Content aligned with Asking intent: With Asking queries representing almost half of all messages, brands need content that answers directly, clearly, and early in the page.

  • Funnel compression and PPC changes: Users move from question to intent much faster. PPC targeting will increasingly rely on behavioural signals rather than broad demographic data.

Ecommerce journeys are becoming shorter and more conversational. Buy in Chat allows users to purchase without visiting a website, meaning product feeds, structured data, pricing accuracy, and availability signals become central to both AI and PPC strategies.

Affiliate models, brand partnerships, and product ranking algorithms inside ChatGPT may begin to mirror Amazon Marketplace behaviour, meaning brands must prepare for new types of competition.

Why This Data Matters for AI Search Behaviour

The shift from keyword based search to personalised, conversational exploration is accelerating. Users treat ChatGPT like an intelligent guide across life decisions, purchases, work tasks, and personal planning. This aligns closely with broader AI search changes outlined in Google AI Mode: What It Means for SEO.

As AI systems take over more stages of the buying journey, traditional SEO becomes only one part of a wider visibility strategy that includes AI marketplaces, product feeds, structured content, and cross channel context signals.

FAQ: ChatGPT Usage Questions Answered

How many people use ChatGPT in 2025?

More than 700 million people use ChatGPT weekly.

For information seeking and early research, user behaviour suggests clear substitution.

Around 27 percent of consumer messages.

Users aged 18 to 25 represent nearly half of all usage.

Yes. Growth is strongest in low and middle income regions.

Yes. The new Instant Checkout feature allows users to complete purchases directly inside ChatGPT, making the assistant both a search tool and a transaction surface.

Search Strategy in the Age of AI

AI driven search is reshaping how people discover information, compare options, and make decisions. Brands that understand Asking intent, structured content, and conversational journeys will gain the strongest visibility across AI driven platforms.

To stay ahead in the age of AI search, brands must act fast. If you’re looking to refine your approach or scale your digital presence, speak to a specialist SEO agency in London about how to future-proof your visibility in a world shaped by AI.