Three Years of ChatGPT:How It Quietly Transformed the World

800M
Weekly Active Users
|
82%
Have Used AI
|
1,644
Survey Respondents

ChatGPT Weekly Active Users Growth

ChatGPT reached 800 million weekly users in just 35 months. The fastest adoption rate ever recorded for a consumer technology.

Weekly Active Users (WAU)

Quick Facts:

  • Reached 1 million users in just 5 days after launch, which is faster than Instagram Threads or TikTok.
  • Surpassed 100 million users within 2 months, making it the fastest-growing consumer app ever recorded.
  • Crossed 400 million weekly users by February 2025, doubling again to 800 million only eight months later.
  • Maintained steady, compounding growth across every major model release, GPT-4, GPT-4o, and GPT-5.

Data Sources & References

All data points are verified from official announcements and reputable news sources.

Month & YearWeekly Active UsersSource
November 20220OpenAI (Launch)
December 20221,000,000Greg Brockman (Twitter)
November 2023100,000,000TechCrunch
August 2024200,000,000Reuters
December 2024300,000,000The Verge
February 2025400,000,000Reuters
March 2025500,000,000Nick Turley (Twitter)
August 2025700,000,000Nick Turley (Twitter)
October 2025800,000,000TechCrunch

GPT Model Generation Comparison

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How Often Do You Really Use ChatGPT?

Survey Question: "How frequently do you use ChatGPT or another AI assistant in a typical week?"

18%15%35%32%
18% Never
15% Once per week
35% 2-3 times per week
32% Daily

🎯 Key Insights: Mass Adoption Accelerates

The data shows a major shift in AI adoption. 82% of respondents have used ChatGPT, and 67% of them use AI at least once a week.

  • 35% use AI 2-3 times per week — the largest segment, indicating regular, intentional usage.
  • 32% use it daily, treating AI as a core part of their workflow.
  • 15% are casual users (once per week), testing and exploring use cases.
  • Only 18% have never used AI — a minority that continues to shrink as tools improve and awareness grows.

Has AI Made You More Productive?

Survey Question: "Since using ChatGPT or similar generative-AI tools, how has your work productivity changed?"

Sample: 1,644 working-age adults in the U.S. and U.K. who use generative-AI tools at least once per week (October 2025)

Productivity Impact

9%24%67%
9% Lower📉
24% No change
67% Higher📈

Which Task Benefits the Most from AI Use?

Follow-up question asked only to respondents who reported productivity gains

Emails29%
Research / summarising26%
Administrative tasks18%
Coding / software-development tasks15%
Learning / upskilling12%

💡 Key Insights: Clear Productivity Gains

The data shows a decisive productivity boost: 67% of weekly AI users report higher productivity, compared to just 9% who report lower productivity.

  • 67% report higher productivity, more than two-thirds experiencing tangible gains.
  • Only 9% report lower productivity.
  • 24% see no change, likely users experimenting casually where AI hasn't yet fit their workflow.
  • Email and research tasks (55% combined) dominate productivity gains, validating AI's strength in information synthesis and communication.
  • The survey targeted weekly AI users, yet 91% report either gains or neutral impact, suggesting AI tools have reached a maturity level where most users can extract value.

How Worried Are You That AI Could Replace Your Job?

Survey Question: "How concerned are you that generative-AI tools (like ChatGPT) could replace your current job within the next five years?"

Sample: 1,644 working-age adults in the U.S. and U.K. who use generative-AI tools at least once per week (October 2025)

Level of Concern About Job Replacement

10%17%36%37%
10% Not at all concerned
17% Slightly concerned
36% Moderately concerned
37% Very concerned

Primary Fears Among Those Concerned

Follow-up question asked to respondents who reported moderate or very high concern (73% of sample)

My role changing significantly27%
Losing my job entirely21%
My skills becoming obsolete20%
My salary or career progression being reduced18%
I'll need to retrain and I won't be ready14%

⚠️ Key Insights: Widespread Job Anxiety

While 67% of users report productivity gains, 73% simultaneously express concern about displacement within five years.

More respondents worry about their roles losing value and autonomy (27%) than about outright job loss (21%). Workers anticipate a future where they are still employed, but marginalized by the tools they use daily.

  • 73% express moderate-to-high concern, showing anxiety spans nearly all skill levels and industries.
  • 36% are moderately concerned, the largest single group, suggesting cautious awareness rather than panic.
  • Only 27% report little-to-no concern, indicating job anxiety is widespread among AI users.
  • Role change (27%) tops outright job loss (21%) as the primary fear, workers are more concerned about diminished agency than unemployment.
  • The data aligns with Express Employment Professionals findings: 64% worry AI will limit job opportunities, and 47% fear their job could be eliminated entirely.