How ChatGPT is Reshaping Consumer Life

It turns out Black Mirror was a docuseries — or at least it feels that way lately. As the world crumbles around us, AI is growing faster than anyone could have anticipated. And just like the internet once did, it’s starting to democratize itself; last spring, a full 44% of ChatGPT prompts were related to software development. Today, that number has dropped to 29%. As less tech-savvy consumers get in on the fun, prompt categories like history, personal finance, and entertainment are picking up steam. This is only the beginning. 

Our latest report, “AI's Everyday Evolution: The Expanding Role of Chatbots in Consumer Life” looks at the technology’s unprecedented growth, exploring the new and surprising ways in which everyday users are interacting with tools like ChatGPT. These insights can help marketers spot emerging trends; developers optimize their apps; and creators refine their content for LLM visibility.

Ten years from now, we may look back at these early adoption days as the calm before the storm — or the breaking point before things got really good. But whether you call it a dystopia or a lifeboat, one thing is certain: AI isn’t going anywhere. Industry leader ChatGPT racked up 500 million monthly active users (MAUs) in under two years — no other app this decade comes close. Their mobile app MAUs are up 300% YTD compared to 2024 (versus +6% for search engines), and the explosive growth shows no sign of slowing. 

And on the subject of search engines: Google and its ilk represent yet another industry whose business model is already being fundamentally changed by the proliferation of AI. In April, nearly a third of search engine app users (31%) also used ChatGPT — up from 13% the same time last year. If professionals of all stripes are going to succeed in this brave new world, they’re going to have to adapt — and establish a deep understanding of how real people are leveraging AI for everything from talk therapy to tax filing. 

👉 Click here to download the full report.