OpenAI Shows How Consumers Use ChatGPT Beyond Work
Key Points
- OpenAI’s Signals data analyzes millions of consumer ChatGPT messages from July 2024 to the end of 2025.
- User interactions fall into three categories: asking, doing, and expressing.
- The expressive category is a consistent slice of usage, especially among users aged 18 to 34.
- Enterprise customers are excluded from the dataset, meaning workplace adoption may be higher.
- OpenAI does not operate in China, Russia, or North Korea, so those markets are absent from the analysis.
- Future updates will track whether expressive use continues to rise or new categories appear.
OpenAI’s Signals data, drawn from millions of consumer messages between July 2024 and the end of 2025, reveals three primary ways people interact with ChatGPT: asking for information, doing tasks, and expressing thoughts or feelings. The expressive category appears consistently, especially among users aged 18 to 34, indicating that many treat the chatbot as a space for personal reflection. The analysis excludes enterprise customers and notes that OpenAI does not operate in several countries, including China, Russia, and North Korea. Future updates will track whether expressive use continues to rise.
Overview of the Signals Dataset
OpenAI released fresh Signals data pulled from millions of consumer messages sent between July 2024 and the end of 2025. The company sorted through those conversations to figure out what people actually do with ChatGPT when they are not at work. The findings paint a surprisingly human picture.
Three Interaction Buckets
The analysis splits interactions into three buckets. Asking covers moments when users want information or clarification. Doing includes tasks where users need ChatGPT to produce something. Expressing is when users share thoughts or feelings without expecting any output or answer. That third category keeps showing up, suggesting people are finding something in the chatbot that goes beyond productivity.
Significance of the Expressive Category
The expressive bucket is not just about emotional outbursts. It covers any moment a user shows up with a thought, an opinion, or a feeling that needs somewhere to go. The data shows these exchanges are a consistent slice of overall usage, not some weird edge case. Younger groups in the 18 to 34 range drive most of the personal engagement, appearing more comfortable treating ChatGPT like a space to think out loud rather than just another work tool.
Geographic and Demographic Insights
OpenAI also ranked countries by ChatGPT messages sent per capita, limiting the analysis to nations with more than 5 million people. The United States gets its own state‑by‑state breakdown. The company notes it does not operate in several countries, including China, Russia, and North Korea, so those markets sit outside the data entirely.
Limitations and Future Updates
The current dataset excludes enterprise customers, so workplace adoption likely runs higher than these numbers show. OpenAI plans to update the Signals page with fresh metrics and breakdowns over time. Future updates will show whether expressive use keeps climbing or if new categories emerge as people find stranger, more personal ways to interact with AI.
Takeaway
The takeaway for now is simple: you’re not the only one treating ChatGPT like something more than a work chatbot. The Signals data highlights a growing trend of personal, expressive interaction that complements the traditional asking and doing functions.