In one of the largest studies to date on how people interact with AI assistants in real-world situations, new research shows that Copilot has become a personal tool, acting like a professional aide on desktops and a trusted advisor on mobile devices. The findings come from a comprehensive study of 37.5 million anonymous conversations collected over nine months, offering a rare insight into the evolving relationship between humans and AI.
Companies have long promoted digital assistants as tools to boost productivity, but this new report suggests something deeper is occurring. Copilot seems to take on two roles based on how and when people use it: a daytime work partner on computers and a constant life consultant on phones.
A Large Dataset That Shows How Users Really Engage with AI
The analysis, published as a preprint in 2025, reviewed millions of conversations from January to September. Researchers excluded business and school accounts to focus specifically on everyday consumer behavior.
To understand what people were doing in each session, machine-learning classifiers categorized every chat by topic and intention—whether someone was looking for facts, seeking advice, or composing something new. The resulting patterns provide one of the clearest views of how generative AI has blended into daily life.
What emerges is a story of two devices, two contexts, and two separate roles for Copilot.
Mobile Devices: AI as a Personal Health and Life Advisor
The standout finding concerns smartphones. Throughout the day, whether on weekdays or weekends, one category consistently dominated mobile usage: health and fitness combined with information-seeking.
From early morning to late at night, the main reason people opened Copilot on their phones was to ask about wellness, symptoms, nutrition, exercise, or general health advice. This trend remained steady throughout the entire nine-month study, unaffected by the time of day or season.
Researchers suggest this consistency indicates how users view mobile AI: as a constantly available, deeply personal source of information. People seem more comfortable asking sensitive questions on their phones, where interactions feel private.
This shift also highlights a broader trend in consumer AI usage: personal inquiries are becoming more prominent. Many users are turning AI into a quiet advisor that helps them understand individual concerns, rather than merely performing tasks.
Desktops: AI as a Work Partner and Problem-Solver
While mobile usage focused on personal well-being, desktop use followed a clear professional pattern.
During standard business hours—about 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.—topics such as Work and Career rose to the top. Questions about technology, programming, science, and education also increased during the workday before declining in the evening.
This pattern reflects a typical office schedule: users sit down, open their computers, and use Copilot to assist with work-related tasks. These tasks range from drafting documents and troubleshooting software to analyzing data or planning projects.
After hours, the technical queries drop, and a wider variety of topics appear, suggesting that once the workday is over, desktop AI shifts from being a collaborator to a general reference tool.
One interpretation from the authors captures the contrast nicely: on a computer, Copilot feels like a coworker; on mobile, it feels like a confidant.
An Expanding User Base Beyond Early Tech Users
One telling data point is how usage has changed over time. Early in the year, conversations about programming and technical issues made up a larger share of sessions. By September, those interactions had decreased, replaced by a growing interest in culture, entertainment, history, and general knowledge.
This change suggests that Copilot is no longer just for developers or tech-savvy early adopters. Instead, regular users—students, parents, hobbyists, and professionals from various fields—are using AI for a broader range of everyday needs.
This diversification reflects patterns seen with other popular AI assistants, where main usage revolves around daily decision-making, writing support, practical help, and learning driven by curiosity.
A Growing Dependence on AI for Personal Guidance
One key theme in the report is the increasing demand for advice—especially personal advice. Beyond health questions, people sought guidance on relationships, lifestyle choices, self-improvement, and life planning.
This growing reliance highlights a significant responsibility for AI developers. When users start making decisions based on machine-generated advice, the stakes become higher. Accuracy matters more. Transparency is crucial. And ensuring safety—especially regarding health, emotional well-being, and critical decisions—is essential.
The researchers note that this trend shifts the role of AI from a simple tool to a partner in decision-making, emphasizing the need for stricter standards and clearer safeguards.
A ‘Vital Companion’—More Than Just Software
In a companion blog post summarizing the study’s implications, the authors described Copilot as “more than a tool: a vital companion for life’s significant moments.” This wording is noteworthy. As AI becomes more integrated into daily life, people may develop more human-like expectations, seeking empathy, reliability, and trust.
The dataset itself indicates that users already interact with Copilot in this way. When seeking advice, individuals often phrase questions in a conversational manner, as if speaking with a person, not just a machine. During work hours, the tone shifts towards task delegation, resembling workplace interactions. On mobile devices, questions often come as confessions or personal concerns.
Such patterns emphasize the emotional and social aspects of AI use—areas that developers are still learning to navigate responsibly.
Privacy and Data Handling: How the Data Was Managed
The study emphasizes that all conversations were stripped of personal identifiers before analysis. No human reviewers accessed the original chats. This point seems designed to address long-standing privacy concerns related to conversational AI data use.
However, as AI systems get more deeply integrated into personal decision-making, the issue of data privacy becomes increasingly important. Maintaining user trust may soon be as vital as improving model quality.
Why This Study Matters for the Future of AI
This new analysis provides not just a glimpse of usage trends but reveals a fundamental shift in how society sees AI tools. Several insights stand out:
AI has become emotionally significant. Users view Copilot as a source of personal consultation, especially on mobile, where private interactions are more natural.
Usage varies by context and device. The same AI operates as two different entities based on when and where it is used—an office assistant at the desk and a life advisor on the phone.
AI is reaching beyond niche communities. Conversations about culture and history are increasing as technical questions decrease, indicating widespread adoption among those not in technical fields.
People are seeking advice from AI, not just information. This shift raises questions about responsibility, regulation, and the ethical design of systems that influence real-world choices.
The line between tool and companion is fading. Users may soon expect AI to not only complete tasks but to also grasp context, emotional subtleties, and personal preferences.
A Look Into the Future of Human-AI Interaction
The study’s co-authors include senior leaders from the company’s AI division, highlighting the significance of understanding how these tools are used outside lab environments. As generative AI becomes a regular part of people’s lives, insights from large-scale behavioral data will play a critical role in shaping future model design.
If the findings hold true, the future of AI will not depend solely on technical advancements. It will be influenced by how people decide to use these systems—in times of work pressure, curiosity, confusion, vulnerability, and personal reflection.
If current trends continue, AI will move beyond being a tool for productivity or entertainment; it will become a companion integrated into the fabric of daily decisions—whether professional or personal, public or private, urgent or trivial.
The real challenge ahead is ensuring that this companion is not only powerful and helpful but also accurate, transparent, and deserving of the trust people invest in it.
