New Delhi, July 13 -- SAN FRANCISCO - The parent who signed up for ChatGPT to write a cover letter has quietly become OpenAI's most valuable distribution channel. They have been installing it on their teenagers' phones, recommending it at school fundraisers, and, according to new survey data, driving the platform's fastest demographic shift since its 2022 launch.

OpenAI posted a job listing this week for a product manager focused on families, caregivers, and older adults, a role that would not have existed, or been necessary, two years ago. The listing describes the hire as responsible for "defining product strategy for non-standard demographics," a phrase that effectively acknowledges the company built something for one user and is now ...