AI has Become Mainstream: Users Turn to ChatGPT About as Often as X and Reddit

Summary

The article highlights a significant shift in consumer behavior toward AI assistants, with implications for digital advertising. Key findings include: ChatGPT's stickiness, averaging 13 monthly sessions per user, comparable to social platforms like X and Reddit. However, Google still leads in consistent usage at 18 days/month, indicating AI assistants have not yet replaced traditional search for information needs.

The most notable trend is the diversification of ChatGPT use cases: in Q2 2024, the top five work and education categories accounted for nearly 50% of prompts, but by Q2 2025 that share fell to 37%, while lifestyle and entertainment prompts grew from 22% to 35%. Niche categories like conversational, business, personal finance, and travel saw fastest growth. Despite this shift, work and education still represent 60% of prompts, and their absolute volume continues to rise.

For ad ops decision-makers, the takeaways are clear: 1) AI assistants offer high engagement similar to social platforms, making them viable channels for brand messaging. 2) The expanding range of use cases allows for more granular targeting—ads can be contextually placed alongside diverse prompts (e.g., travel, finance). 3) The persistent dominance of work and education categories suggests continued opportunities for B2B and productivity-related advertising.

4) As consumers become more comfortable with AI, integrating AI assistant data into digital strategies is essential. The report recommends leveraging tools like Sensor Tower’s AI Chatbot Insights for deeper visibility. Overall, the data underscores that AI assistants are becoming mainstream utilities, and advertisers should adapt to capture this engaged and diverse audience.