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3471When ChatGPT launched in late 2022, people talked about it like it was the start of something huge—a revolution in how we work, learn and communicate.
Some even said it was the beginning of the singularity. But now, more than two years later, a fair question is echoing across online communities like Reddit: what has actually changed?
“Apparently AI is going to take so many jobs,” wrote one Redditor in the r/ArtificialIntelligence subreddit, “but I’m not even familiar with any problems it’s helped us solve… I remember thinking that the release of ChatGPT was a precursor to the singularity.”
The question sparked hundreds of responses and thousands of votes. And the replies painted a complex picture.
On one hand, people are clearly using ChatGPT and similar large language models (LLMs) every day. On the other, the changes are often subtle, fragmented, or quietly unfolding in the background.
A Silent Shift in Productivity
A lot of users say ChatGPT has made a real difference in their productivity, even if it hasn’t transformed the world overnight.
One top comment summed it up this way: “Quality of emails has skyrocketed.”
From customer service to coding, the chatbot has become an invisible assistant in many workplaces. People use it to brainstorm, summarize, clean up writing and even troubleshoot.
“It’s the ultimate get-unstuck tool,” wrote another user. “That little kick to get started or fill in that shallow knowledge gap. It’s so good.”
One developer described how they use ChatGPT to generate JavaScript and CSS snippets to improve web forms.
Others said it helps with summarizing lengthy AI-generated emails, or even making internal communications sound more professional.
But there’s also criticism. One user joked that everyone now has emails that “sound goofy and exactly the same type of goofy.”
Real, Measurable Gains in Specific Fields
For some professionals, the impact has been more than just a convenience—it’s been transformative.
A user named Yahakshan, who works in healthcare, said using AI as a clinical scribe allowed them to increase clinic appointments by 30%.
“Writing notes is about 1 hour for every 2 hours of clinical time,” they explained. Automating that part of the job freed them to see more patients.
Another user, who runs two veterinary hospitals and an e-commerce business, shared an even more detailed experience.
They said GPT helps write legal-proof medical records, create five-star client communications, catch accounting errors, and improve hiring.
“We now run tighter projections, and our job ads rival corporate-level copywriting,” they said. “GPT read over 10,000 pages of veterinary management material I collected over a decade and instantly became a better operations consultant than I ever imagined.”
In their words, the impact has been personal and professional: “Two years ago, I thought AI was overhyped. Today it helps me manage my health, emotions, business, legal and financial decisions, and even my driving.”
Some Jobs Already Affected
Although AI hasn’t caused a jobs apocalypse yet, several commenters pointed out that some positions are already being replaced or reduced.
“It has taken a lot of jobs in copywriting and customer service. And diffusion models have taken a lot of small art jobs,” one user noted.
Another added, “I’ve had a photographer on my payroll for 10 years. Not anymore, and probably never again.”
Some described how companies aren’t necessarily firing people outright but are “massively downgrading the estimate of new hires.”
In creative industries, the impact seems especially pronounced. One person who works in marketing and design said AI tools have lowered their costs by 99% and removed barriers that used to require budget approval, timelines, and multiple staff.
“It’s absolutely destroying jobs everywhere in my industry. And it will do the same in law, medicine, accounting, etc.,” they warned.
But It Hasn’t Solved Big Problems
For all the convenience, some Redditors expressed disappointment that ChatGPT hasn’t done more.
It hasn’t cured diseases, solved climate change or delivered fully autonomous vehicles.
“ChatGPT is not used to solve complex medical issues… they have specialized AIs for analysis,” said one commenter.
“LLMs are fascinating, but I doubt that their impact is positive,” another added.
“Especially in schools and universities, the impact is probably absolutely horrible… enables unqualified people to cheat on a lot of things.”
Still, others argued that this expectation misses the point. One user wrote, “Asking it to solve medical issues is a bit unfair… AI is boosting productivity to a level that has never been seen before, and we’re still not exploiting it to its full potential.”
Progress by Ricochet
Even if ChatGPT hasn’t directly solved world problems, many believe its real value lies in freeing up time and resources.
The theory is that those savings can be funneled elsewhere, creating progress indirectly.
One user put it this way: “It didn’t cure cancer. But it changed how people write about it. It didn’t save the planet. But it changed how people organize resistance. It didn’t create jobs. But it redefined what working means.”
Another added, “Companies, especially large ones, are notoriously slow at implementing new technologies… but once it’s been implemented, a few years down the line, it’s going to change things real fast.”
So, Has Anything Meaningful Changed?
In a way, the answer depends on what you consider meaningful.
ChatGPT hasn’t delivered on sci-fi fantasies, and for many, daily life still feels pretty normal.
But at the same time, under the surface, workflows are changing, expectations are shifting, and old job roles are being redefined.
It might not be a big bang. It might be more like what one user described: “You were expecting the singularity to arrive like a comet in the sky. But it came like dust in your lungs.”
For some, that’s a quiet revolution already in motion. For others, the jury is still out.
Either way, two years in, ChatGPT hasn’t changed everything. But it has definitely changed something.
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