Innovation Management Watch Summary: "How People Are Really Using Gen AI in 2025" by Harvard Business Review

  A year after the release of a widely circulated report on real-world generative AI applications, Marc Zao-Sanders provides an updated perspective on how individuals are using generative AI in 2025. Drawing from thousands of Reddit and Quora posts, as well as media articles and user quotes, this follow-up identifies 100 top use cases and tracks a clear shift in user behavior. Generative AI has moved beyond task automation and technical productivity and is now deeply embedded in personal development, emotional support, and day-to-day decision-making. 

Key Trends and Top Use Cases 

The report highlights a dramatic change in how generative AI is perceived and utilized. The top three use cases for 2025 are: 

1. Therapy and companionship 
2. Organizing one’s life 
3. Finding purpose 

This marks a movement toward more emotive and self-actualization-focused use. Individuals are increasingly turning to AI for support in mental health, goal-setting, introspection, and routine management. In particular, AI therapy has emerged as a critical tool in underserved regions, where access to professional psychological services is limited. 

Use Case Categories and Examples 

 The 100 use cases were grouped into six thematic categories: 

• Personal and professional support (31%) 

• Content creation and editing (18%) 

• Learning and education (16%) 

• Technical assistance and troubleshooting (15%) 

• Creativity and recreation (11%) 

• Research, analysis, and decision-making (9%) 

New and noteworthy examples include using AI to resolve legal issues (e.g., disputing fines), generate meal plans based on macro goals, develop vacation itineraries, and explore religious or philosophical questions. Some organizations, such as EY and Microsoft, have also integrated generative AI into employee workflows, ranging from tax services to daily work planning. 

Evolving User Behavior 

The study indicates that users in 2025 are more familiar with AI’s capabilities and limitations. There is growing awareness of data privacy concerns, memory constraints, and the potential for bias. Simultaneously, users are more skilled at prompting AI effectively and using it as a sounding board for personal and professional growth. For many, AI offers a space for psychological safety, allowing open-ended exploration without fear of human judgment. 

Future Outlook 

Users are increasingly expressing a desire for generative AI tools to move beyond information provision into action—i.e., “agentic” behavior that can automate decisions or tasks. While debate continues about long-term social and cognitive effects, the report concludes that generative AI is playing an expanding role in helping people reflect, adapt, and navigate complexity in both their personal and work lives.