How People Are Really Using Gen AI in 2025

Since its introduction, the hype around AI, gen AI, and large language models (LLMs) has only amplified. User interest has doubled, investment in AI is skyrocketing, governments are taking more emphatic and explicit positions, and the stakes are about as high as they get—the future of humanity, according to some.  A year ago, the author researched and reported the Top-100 Gen AI Use Case, rated according to perceived usefulness and scale of impact.  He went for a sequel study.  

What Users Are Doing Now.  Here are some use cases from the top 100 this year.  Therapy/companionship (#1).  Organizing my life (#2).  Enhanced learning (#4).  Healthier living (#10).  Creating a travel itinerary (#24).  And Disputing a fine (#83).

Purpose and Meaning.  More and more of us are using LLMs to find purpose and improve ourselves.  Therapy and Companionship is now the #1 use case. This use case refers to two distinct but related use cases. Therapy involves structured support and guidance to process psychological challenges, while companionship encompasses ongoing social and emotional connection, sometimes with a romantic dimension.  The highest new entry in the use cases was “Organizing my life” at #2. These uses were mostly about people using the models to be more aware of their intentions (such as daily habits, New Year’s resolutions, and introspective insights) and find small, easy ways of getting started with them.  The other big new entry is “Finding purpose” in third place. Determining and defining one’s values, getting past roadblocks, and taking steps to self-develop (e.g., advising on what you should do next, reframing a problem, helping you to stay focused) all now feature frequently under this banner.  There were other entries further down the list for which we see AI helping us with the softer side of being human. We’re using AI to boost our confidence (#18), to have deep and meaningful conversations (#29), and even to try to engage with the deceased (#33).  Most experts expected that AI would prove itself first and best in technical areas. While it’s doing plenty there, this research suggests that AI may help us as much or more with our innately human whims and desires.

There was much disagreement and discord about whether the LLMs are a boon or bane for our own ability to think. On the other hand, the technology’s ability to enhance an individual’s learning and thinking was also acknowledged and celebrated.

More Sophisticated Users.  There were several indications that gen AI users in 2025 have now developed a deeper understanding along with a skepticism about gen AI, its creators, and the ecosystem it’s in.  The hottest cynical take is about the perceived political correctness of the LLMs. This may have been more pronounced over the course of the 2024 election year in the U.S.  Data privacy came up repeatedly, too. Enthusiasm for gen AI was frequently met with warnings about what Big Tech would do with the data it’s harvesting.  Ironically, another common complaint was that the LLMs don’t know enough about their users, i.e., that they don’t retain sufficient memory.  

What Next?  Online forums have always been fertile ground for idle speculation.  Most predictions anticipated either an extremely bad or extremely good end-state. One common and more nuanced forecast was the desire to see LLMs move from advice and information to doing, i.e., agentic behavior.

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