OpenAI Chief Economist Ronnie Chatterji: "How People Use ChatGPT" Deep Dive Discussion
Ronnie and Scot discuss the recent OpenAI working paper, "How People Use ChatGPT" published in collaboration with the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Ronnie Chatterji is the Chief Economist of OpenAI and a Duke University professor whose career bridges academia, policy, and frontier technology. Before joining OpenAI, he conducted academic research on innovation and entrepreneurship, served in the U.S. Government implementing the CHIPS and Science Act, and advised major organizations on technology policy and economic transformation. At OpenAI, he leads research into how AI is reshaping the economy, work, and consumer behavior.
Listen/Watch Our Interview:
In one of our most significant episodes yet, Retailgentic sits down with Ronnie Chatterji, OpenAI’s Chief Economist, to discuss OpenAI’s recent National Bureau of Economic Research working paper, “How people are using ChatGPT”. The study offers a rare, data-backed view into how people actually use generative AI, from asking questions to completing tasks, and what that means for the future of work, writing, and commerce.
If you’ve ever wondered how AI is changing human behavior (and what it tells us about the coming “agentic” economy), this conversation is essential listening. They cover:
How OpenAI classified millions of ChatGPT messages into “asking,” “doing,” and “expressing”, and what surprised them
Why asking still outpaces doing (for now) and how that will flip as agentic AI matures
How ChatGPT’s usage data reveals early signs of AI-native shopping behavior
Ronnie’s real-world ChatGPT shopping story
How OpenAI approaches privacy, methodology, and the challenge of scaling economic research responsibly
This episode is more than a window into OpenAI, it’s a look at the data shaping how humans and agents will interact, shop, and make decisions in the years ahead. If you care about where AI is really headed, this one’s not just worth your time, it’s required listening.
👉 Follow Ronnie on LinkedIn here.
👉 Download the paper here: https://openai.com/index/how-people-are-using-chatgpt/
🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify, Apple, etc.
Or, we have a video version on YouTube (make sure to subscribe!) →
Loving this Convo? We’re just getting started.
Stay on top of what’s happening in agentic commerce, from the tools powering it to the founders building with it by following us across platforms:
Podcast: https://retailgentic.transistor.fm
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retailgentic/
We're here to make sense of what’s next in retail + AI and bring you along for the ride. Subscribe and stay tuned!
Really solid sesh!