Women now use ChatGPT more than men, a turnaround from the early days of the popular artificial intelligence chatbot, according to the largest study yet on how consumers are interacting with the technology.
The study, released September 15 by OpenAI’s Economic Research team in collaboration with Harvard economist David Deming, analyzed 1.5 million conversations and more than 700 million weekly users.
It found that women, once underrepresented among users, have overtaken men in adoption rates, signalling a broadening mainstream acceptance of generative AI.
When ChatGPT launched in late 2022, about 80% of its active users had masculine first names, the report said.
By mid-2025, that figure had fallen below half, with 52% of users carrying typically feminine names.
Researchers said the closing and eventual reversal of the gender gap shows how quickly AI has shifted from a niche tool to a staple of everyday life.
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“ChatGPT’s early adopters were disproportionately male,” the paper noted. “But usage has steadily diversified, and today women are slightly more likely than men to be active users.”
Global Growth Beyond Tech Circles
The report is part of a National Bureau of Economic Research working paper titled How People Use ChatGPT, co-authored by academics and OpenAI researchers.
It is the most comprehensive analysis of real consumer use of AI to date, the authors said, and offers a rare look into how the chatbot is shaping work and personal lives worldwide.
The study documented rapid adoption in low- and middle-income countries, with usage growth in the lowest-income nations outpacing that in wealthier countries by a factor of four.
By July 2025, ChatGPT was being used weekly by more than 700 million people, roughly 10% of the world’s adult population.
The researchers attributed the surge to the tool’s accessibility across consumer plans, including free versions.
“This widening adoption underscores our belief that access to AI should be treated as a basic right,” the report said.
How People Use ChatGPT
Three-quarters of consumer conversations focused on practical tasks: seeking information, asking for guidance, and writing.
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Writing ranging from emails to academic assignments was the most common work-related use, while coding and personal self-expression were far less prevalent.
The study categorized interactions into three groups: Asking (49%), Doing (40%), and Expressing (11%).
Asking, which includes seeking advice or clarification, has become the fastest-growing category, showing that users often see ChatGPT more as an advisor than just a task executor.
At work, about 30% of usage was tied to job-related tasks, particularly in knowledge-intensive sectors. But 70% of conversations were personal, spanning tutoring, planning, health inquiries, and creative brainstorming.
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