OpenAI published a blog post yesterday (August 6), reporting that more than 1 billion people worldwide use ChatGPT, with usage shifting from an “answering tool” to a “task tool”.
OpenAI noted in the report that, in work-related scenarios, users are more frequently using ChatGPT to produce content or perform tasks, including writing, programming, editing, and analysis.
Data shows that users are more than twice as likely to complete tasks or create content with ChatGPT in work-related scenarios than in non-work scenarios. By comparison, use in non-work scenarios is more exploratory, with “asking questions” or seeking information and explanations remaining the largest category.
In terms of use cases, multimedia has become the fastest-growing category as ChatGPT's capabilities continue to improve. Since the release of ChatGPT Images 2.0 in April 2026, the global share of multimedia-related messages has risen to 7.8%. The report said that multimedia use still trails leading categories such as practical guidance, writing, and information search, but has continued to rise steadily year to date.
Regarding age groups, OpenAI said that in nearly every country and region where ChatGPT operates, the share of messages sent by users aged 35 and over has increased. Compared with 12 months ago, these users now account for 5 percentage points more of all messages sent.
In France and the Czech Republic, the share of messages sent by users aged 35 and over grew by more than 10 percentage points over the past year. In nearly 75% of European countries, the increase in the share of messages from users aged 35 and over was higher than the average.
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From asking to doing: How the world is putting ChatGPT to work