ChatGPT use in the workplace grew exponentially in the first quarter of 2023 – study shows

A new DeskTime study has revealed that in the first quarter of 2023, ChatGPT use in the workplace doubled every month. Whereas in April, for the first time, the app ranked among the top 100 most-used applications at work. This proves that its relevance is equally as impactful inside the workplace as outside of it.

The study was conducted using a sample of over 24,000 DeskTime users worldwide.

DeskTime tracked ChatGPT use from January to April of 2023 and found that use grew significantly in every subsequent month. From January to February, a growth of 120% was observed, while from February to March, a rate of 108% growth was seen. From March to April, the growth continued at a slower pace – a 17.9% increase was observed. Despite the slower growth in use, ChatGPT debuted in the 79th place among the top 100 most-used apps at work.

ChatGPT’s exponential growth in the first three months of the year is double the rate of growth of the app itself –  in February 2023, it reached 1 billion users, an increase of 55% from the previous month. The fact that the adoption into the workplace was happening at a faster rate than the growth of the app worldwide demonstrates that initially, the business world was slower to pick up on the benefits of the technology than the public at large, and is now catching up.

The increasing use of ChatGPT among office workers comes amid discussions and anxiety in the workplace over potential redundancies due to the introduction of AI, as well as an eagerness to make use of the technology by entrepreneurs for a competitive advantage. Companies such as IBM are pausing hiring for positions that can be filled by AI, and in France, AI was used to create visuals for a swimwear campaign, thus eliminating the need for a photographer. AI was credited in the images as the source.

“We’re seeing that businesses are playing catchup with the rest of the world. If at first ChatGPT was used for fun and to test the opportunities of generative AI, now we’re seeing a systematic integration of the technology into businesses themselves. I don’t think this is anything to be afraid of – the diverse applications can only improve the productivity of businesses, and those that can implement it successfully will have the upper hand.”

Artis Rozentals, CEO of DeskTime

ChatGPT has become the fastest-growing app of all time, reaching 100 million monthly active users in just two months after launch. It surpasses TikTok, which required 9 months to reach the same goal, and 2.5 years for Instagram. 

In addition to anxieties over ChatGPT taking over jobs, another debate has been held around the propriety, ethics, and IP implications of using generative AI in roles that require creative input, such as writing, design, and programming. The technology news site CNET experimented by using AI-generated articles, which proved to contain high levels of plagiarism. The topic has also raised concerns in the academic sector, along with the ability for ChatGPT to write research papers, essays, and dissertations, causing lecturers to search for alternative methods to evaluate students.

The DeskTime data findings ultimately demonstrate that the use of ChatGPT is on the rise, and companies are getting wise to the benefits of using the technology.