# ChatGPT commercial conversations nearly double in a year

Published: 2026-08-18T18:03:36.929Z · Source: Profound research blog (https://www.tryprofound.com/blog/commercial-conversations-in-chatgpt-more-than-doubled-in-a-year)
Source date: 2026-08-13
Flags: vendor study — Profound's own product data, not independent research
Entities: chatgpt

Commercial intent in ChatGPT conversations rose from 13.9% to 19.2% between June 2025 and June 2026, per Profound's analysis of 7.5 million English-language U.S. conversations drawn from its Prompt Volumes database. Weekly commercial conversations grew from roughly 243 million to 533 million over the same span — a 41% per-user increase — which Profound said puts ChatGPT on pace for about 28 billion commercial conversations a year. The company found a roughly 10x spread in commercial intent between the highest industries (automotive at 59.1%, travel and hospitality at 56.1%) and the lowest (education and non-profit, both near 6%).

Why it matters: A near-doubling of commercial intent in a single year is early evidence ChatGPT is becoming a purchase-research surface and not just an information one, raising the stakes for brand presence in AI answers on commercial queries.

## What this answers

**Is ChatGPT increasingly used for shopping and buying?**

Yes. Profound's analysis of 7.5 million ChatGPT conversations found commercial intent grew from 13.9% to 19.2% of conversations between June 2025 and June 2026.

**Which industries see the most commercial ChatGPT conversations?**

Automotive (59.1%) and travel & hospitality (56.1%) had the highest share of commercial intent, versus roughly 6% for education and non-profit topics, per Profound.


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