OpenAI's ChatGPT tops 400 million users despite rising competition
Just hours after Grok 3 took the top spot from ChatGPT in the Apple App Store, OpenAI’s rapid growth suggests the world’s most popular AI company isn’t slowing down, even with competition heating up from China’s DeepSeek and Elon Musk’s xAI Grok.
OpenAI's Impressive Growth
In an interview with CNBC, OpenAI’s chief operating officer, Brad Lightcap, shared that OpenAI had reached 400 million weekly active users as of February. That’s a 33% jump from the 300 million reported in December—figures that had not been made public until now.
.png)
"People hear about it through word of mouth. They see the utility of it. They see their friends using it," Lightcap told CNBC, adding that it takes time for individuals to find use cases that resonate. "There’s an overall effect of people really wanting these tools, and seeing that these tools are really valuable."
Factors Contributing to OpenAI's Growth
OpenAI’s growth can be attributed to several factors. ChatGPT’s superior performance has made it a preferred tool for everything from content creation to programming assistance. User adoption has also been fueled by word of mouth and increasing integration into daily workflows.
Since its launch on November 30, 2022, ChatGPT has seen exponential growth, reaching one million users in just five days and continuing to expand rapidly.
Additionally, OpenAI’s ongoing model enhancements, such as GPT-4 Turbo and GPT-4o, provide more efficiency and accuracy. Partnerships, including deep collaborations with Microsoft, have also helped expand OpenAI’s reach and capabilities.
Challenges and Investments
However, this rapid expansion has not come without challenges. The increased demand may be putting a strain on OpenAI’s infrastructure, leading to occasional outages. To keep up, the company is investing billions in scaling its AI infrastructure to maintain reliability and performance. It is also part of Project Stargate, a $500 billion joint venture with SoftBank and Oracle to build the largest AI infrastructure in the U.S.
The surge in OpenAI’s user base may be contributing to the frequent outages in recent months. With millions of new users, the infrastructure is under growing pressure—a common challenge for rapidly expanding platforms. To keep pace with demand, OpenAI may need to scale its AI infrastructure further and enhance system resilience.
Enterprise Adoption and Expansion
Beyond individual users, OpenAI is also making inroads with businesses. The company now has 2 million paying enterprise customers—double the number from September. Companies are integrating OpenAI’s models into their operations, leveraging AI for customer support, data analysis, and automation.
Enterprises are embracing OpenAI’s technology, with companies like Uber, Morgan Stanley, and T-Mobile leveraging AI for various purposes.
Future Developments and Roadmap
OpenAI's growth comes as new competitors emerge, particularly DeepSeek. Despite the challenges, OpenAI is pushing ahead with innovations like the recently launched Deep Research, an AI agent designed for complex research tasks. The company also has plans for future AI models like GPT-4.5 and GPT-5.
The goal is clear: to make AI easier to use and more effective, ultimately integrating seamlessly into everyday life.
