OpenAI shares ChatGPT usage insights as the chatbot turns three
Key Points
- ChatGPT processes around 29,000 messages per second.
- Approximately 800 million people use the chatbot each week.
- Three‑quarters of conversations focus on practical guidance, information, and text editing.
- Uploading an image is the most popular global use case, exceeding image generation.
- In the UK, drafting communications and how‑to advice lead usage rankings.
- The data highlight ChatGPT's shift from research preview to everyday productivity tool.
OpenAI marked ChatGPT's third anniversary by revealing how users worldwide interact with the AI chatbot. The company says the service handles around 29,000 messages per second and sees roughly 800 million weekly active users. Most conversations focus on practical guidance, information seeking, and text editing, with "uploading an image" emerging as the top global use case, ahead of image generation. In the UK, the most common tasks involve drafting communications, how‑to advice, and product research. The data underscore ChatGPT's evolution from a research preview to a ubiquitous productivity tool.
Celebrating Three Years of ChatGPT
OpenAI commemorated the third birthday of its flagship chatbot, ChatGPT, by publishing a set of usage statistics that illustrate how the tool has become a staple for millions of people around the globe. Launched in 2022 as a modest "research preview," the service now processes roughly 29,000 messages each second and reaches an estimated 800 million users each week.
What People Are Asking the Bot
The company reports that about three‑quarters of all conversations revolve around practical guidance, information retrieval, and writing assistance. When it comes to work‑related tasks, users most often request the model to edit, critique, or translate text rather than generate brand‑new content from scratch.
Top Global Use Cases
OpenAI identified six primary ways people interact with ChatGPT worldwide. The most common activity is "uploading an image," which outpaces even "generating an image" and indicates that users frequently bring their own pictures for enhancement or analysis. Other leading functions include searching the web, using a reasoning model, performing data analysis, and dictation.
UK‑Specific Trends
In the United Kingdom, the usage pattern shifts slightly. The top categories there are writing, drafting, or editing communications; practical how‑to advice such as cooking or DIY; seeking information; health, fitness, and beauty counsel; learning and tutoring; and personal‑goal coaching. Shopping and product research also appear, though they rank lower than productivity‑focused tasks.
Implications for the Future
The data suggest that ChatGPT has transitioned from a novelty to a low‑friction utility that bridges the gap between a quick web search and professional expertise. While advanced capabilities like code generation and complex analysis are still present, they are less frequently used compared with everyday productivity needs. OpenAI's release of a shopping‑research tool hints at possible future expansions into e‑commerce assistance.
Conclusion
OpenAI's disclosure of ChatGPT's usage metrics underscores the chatbot's deep integration into daily digital life. Whether users are polishing an email, answering a medical question, or refining an image, ChatGPT now serves as a reliable, on‑demand assistant across a broad spectrum of tasks.