A comprehensive analysis conducted by OpenAI in collaboration with Harvard researchers has revealed a seismic shift in how consumers interact with artificial intelligence, with ChatGPT reaching over 700 million weekly active users and fundamentally changing search patterns. The study, covering conversations from May 2024 to June 2025, shows that information-seeking behavior has surged from 14% to 24% of all ChatGPT interactions, representing nearly 10% of the global adult population.
The data exposes three dominant use cases that collectively account for 77% of all ChatGPT conversations: Practical Guidance (29%), Seeking Information (24%), and Writing (24%). Perhaps most striking is the platform’s evolution from primarily work-focused usage to personal applications, with non-work conversations now comprising 73% of all interactions.
The implications for digital marketers are profound:
- ChatGPT processes approximately 37.5 million search-like queries daily, representing a growing share of information discovery behavior
- 95.3% of ChatGPT users also visited Google in August, indicating complementary rather than replacement usage
- Users appreciate AI’s ability to provide “faster and more precise” responses with “customized results based on chat history”
- Gen Z users are driving significant engagement growth, particularly for complex, multi-step queries
- The rise of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) becomes increasingly critical as AI platforms capture more information-seeking behavior
ChatGPT’s transformation from an experimental tool to a mainstream information platform used by 10% of global adults signals a fundamental shift in search behavior. Marketers must begin developing AI-first content strategies while maintaining their traditional SEO efforts to capture users across both traditional and conversational search interfaces.