Introduction

This article studies real AI chats to show what people actually do with AI assistants, and why most use is not about buying things.

What's the problem it solves?

Many marketers think people use AI like Google search. This research shows that idea is wrong. Most AI use is not about shopping or products, but about thinking, learning, and getting help.

Quick Summary

The study looks at almost one million real AI chat sessions. Most chats are short. The average chat has about five turns, but the most common case is just two turns. People usually ask a short question and get a long answer back.

AI assistants write much more than users. In a typical chat, the user provides only about 16 to 17 percent of the words. The rest comes from the AI. Long chats exist, but they are rare. Over 80 percent of conversations stay under 1,000 words.

Most AI use is not commercial. About 65 percent of chats have no buying intent at all. People mostly use AI for brainstorming, planning, learning, analysis, and casual conversation. Only 35 percent of chats relate to shopping or products, and most of those are early research, not buying.

Key Takeaways

• Most AI chats are short and goal focused
• Users write little, AI writes a lot
• Long complex chats are rare but important
• Nearly two thirds of AI use is non commercial
• Awareness and comparison matter more than buying
• Post purchase help is more common than checkout help

What to do

• Stop treating AI like a search engine clone
• Create content for early problem awareness, not just products
• Invest in post purchase help and support content
• Build tools for thinking, planning, and learning
• Rethink SEO and affiliate strategies around early intent
• Study non commercial AI use, not just buying signals

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