How is AI usage shifting in 2025?

I've mentioned this article in many conversations this week, so I wanted to share some of my thoughts and comments about recent shifts in AI trends described in a recent Harvard Business Review article comparing real-world AI usage in 2024 vs 2025.

When ChatGPT first launched Nov 2022, the early excitement focused on essays, silly poems, and encyclopedic Q&A chats. But the greater "revolutionary" real-world use cases were not totally clear at the time. And frankly, we're still figuring it out.

Two years later, a few new trends have emerged:

#1: Therapy & Companionship
This jumped from #2 to #1. I have many friends who struggle to find a therapist who suits their needs. For those who have therapists, some topics can still feel too sensitive to bring up with another human (particularly assault and trauma.) On the opposite end, I've had friends tell me that some topics are too small to warrant spending limited session time. Thus, AI is becoming a non-judgmental space for emotional processing—especially in between sessions or when access to care is limited.

#2: Life Organization
This is a new entry. I've been using AI for managing both personal and professional chaos — handling priorities, to-do lists, and overflowing email inboxes. AI is quickly becoming a highly-accessible executive function tool.

#3: Finding purpose
New use case. This one relates to figuring out personal values, goals, and perhaps helping make important decisions. My friend recently told me that she likes to use AI to ask her a series of questions until she reaches clarity about a given thought or decision. I think this is an interesting role switch in which the prompter becomes the prompted. Did you expect that ChatGPT might help you find purpose in your career and your life?

**#4: Enhanced Learning (up from #8)
**People are building their own learning systems: flashcards, quizzes, explanations. AI is evolving into a custom tutor—replacing or supplementing traditional learning platforms. I've been using AI to teach myself coding, which brings me to #5...

#5: Coding (up from #47!)
"Vibe coding" is a new trend in which non-coders use AI to generate tools, apps, and games. "No-code" and "low-code" platforms, plus generative AI, are unlocking access for an entire generation of DIY hackers. While vibe coding won't replace actual software engineers, this is inspiring many folks (myself included) to start learning how to code using AI as an accessible 24/7 guide and tutor.

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Full article: How People Are Really Using Gen AI in 2025 (Harvard Business Review)

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This post was originally published on Substack