What People Really Want from AI: A Data-Driven Look at Usage Trends
Insights from Real-World Behaviors, Not Just Hype.
AI is no longer a futuristic concept—it’s here, and it’s shaping how individuals and businesses interact with technology on a daily basis. But beneath the hype, one question often gets overlooked: what are people actually using AI for?
I recently reviewed a dataset that breaks down usage across categories, and the results reveal surprising insights into both human behavior and the evolving role of AI. Let’s unpack the findings.
1. Writing & Practical Guidance Dominate AI Usage
Two categories tower above the rest:
Writing (28.1%)
From editing and critique (10.6%) to translation (4.5%) and personal communication (8.0%), people are leaning heavily on AI as a co-writer. This is less about replacing creativity and more about streamlining expression. AI is becoming the first draft assistant, the grammar coach, and the translator all rolled into one.Practical Guidance (28.3%)
Tutoring and teaching (10.2%) top this subcategory, closely followed by how-to advice (8.5%) and self-care (5.7%). This shows a strong desire for knowledge transfer and actionable help, whether it’s solving math problems, improving personal well-being, or brainstorming creative approaches.
Takeaway: AI is becoming both an educator and a collaborator—helping users learn, refine, and produce faster.
2. Seeking Information Is Still a Core Driver
At 21.3% of usage, this category highlights AI’s role as an information broker.
The bulk lies in specific information requests (18.3%), which reflects a Google-like utility.
Interestingly, purchasable products (2.1%) and recipes (0.9%) show AI creeping into commerce and lifestyle decisions.
Takeaway: People don’t just want facts—they want personalized, filtered insights that reduce search fatigue and decision overload.
3. Multimedia Is Growing, but Still Niche
Multimedia-related requests only account for 6.0% overall, with:
Image creation (4.2%) leading the pack
Image analysis (0.6%) and other media generation (1.1%) trailing
This reflects two things:
Image generation is hot, but still secondary to text-based use cases.
We’re at the early stages of mainstreaming multimodal AI, where text, images, video, and voice converge.
Takeaway: Expect multimedia’s share to climb sharply as more intuitive tools lower barriers to creativity.
4. Technical Help: Specialized but Impactful
At 7.5%, technical help skews toward programming (4.2%) and math (3.0%). While this isn’t the largest category, its high-value impact is undeniable. A single AI-powered solution to a coding bug or a complex equation can save hours of human effort.
Takeaway: Even though technical use cases aren’t as common, they deliver outsized ROI for businesses and professionals.
5. Human Touch Still Matters: Self-Expression
Interestingly, 4.3% of usage falls under self-expression—greetings, chitchat, relationships, and role-play. While smaller in share, this reveals that many users aren’t just seeking efficiency—they’re also craving connection, reflection, and play.
Takeaway: AI isn’t just a tool; it’s becoming a companion technology—capable of holding space for creativity, reflection, and even emotional support.
6. The “Other / Unknown” Zone
At 4.6%, this bucket includes meta-questions like “asking about the model.” It suggests curiosity and a desire to peek behind the curtain. People aren’t satisfied with black-box answers—they want to understand how AI thinks.
What This Means for Businesses & Innovators
Content creators & educators: Double down on AI-powered writing and tutoring. These are proven demand centers.
Tech builders: There’s white space in multimedia and commerce. Expect rapid growth in personalized product discovery and visual generation.
Enterprises: Lean into AI as a productivity enhancer, not just a chatbot. Writing, guidance, and technical help categories align directly with knowledge work.
Product strategists: Pay attention to the “soft” use cases. Self-expression and emotional support may seem niche but hold the key to long-term stickiness.
Authoritative data and analysis on what people actually want from AI, centered around usage trends and category insights for 2025:
Stanford HAI 2025 AI Index Report
https://hai.stanford.edu/ai-index/2025-ai-index-reportSiege Media: 50 AI Writing Statistics To Know in 2025
https://www.siegemedia.com/strategy/ai-writing-statisticsMenlo Ventures: 2025 — The State of Consumer AI
https://menlovc.com/perspective/2025-the-state-of-consumer-ai/National University: 131 AI Statistics and Trends for 2025
https://www.nu.edu/blog/ai-statistics-trends/McKinsey: AI in the Workplace—A Report for 2025
https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/superagency-in-the-workplace-empowering-people-to-unlock-ais-full-potential-at-work
Final Word
AI usage is a mirror of human priorities. The data shows that people are turning to AI not only to work smarter but also to express themselves, learn faster, and connect better.
The businesses that thrive in this new landscape will be the ones that see AI not just as a tool—but as a partner in human growth and creativity.
-Purposemaker Labs, September 2025