OpenAI has revealed that American users of ChatGPT pose around 1 million inquiries each week related to local news events covered by local news outlets. These questions typically center on community happenings, local businesses, and municipal politics, showing a keen interest in issues that directly affect their neighborhoods. Notably, significant events like the recent historical snowstorm that resulted in over 170 deaths in the U.S. led to a surge in inquiries regarding public services, indicating that extraordinary circumstances drive user engagement with the platform.

Despite the substantial volume of questions, the overall interaction rate concerning local news remains relatively low compared to the total demand for ChatGPT. OpenAI mentioned that over 800 million users access the service at least once a week, with each user likely making multiple inquiries. This highlights the vast potential for growth in local news engagement through AI, as many users seek more information but may not be fully utilizing the resource for local topics.

To further enhance local news coverage, OpenAI has announced a partnership with the American news outlet Axios to operate newsletters focusing on 43 communities across nine U.S. states. This collaboration aims to combine AI technology with local journalism, potentially increasing access and engagement with local news, thereby answering users' queries more effectively while promoting community awareness and accountability.