The AI landscape is witnessing unprecedented growth, and at the forefront of this surge is ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI. Sam Altman, OpenAI's CEO, recently revealed the remarkable expansion of ChatGPT's user base, highlighting a fourfold increase in daily active users over the past year. This exponential growth underscores ChatGPT's increasing integration into daily routines and its widespread acceptance across various demographics.

Explosive User Growth

ChatGPT's journey began in November 2022, and it swiftly captured public attention. Within just five days of its launch, the platform acquired one million users. This rapid adoption continued, with ChatGPT reaching 100 million monthly active users within two months, establishing it as the fastest-growing consumer application ever, until the arrival of Threads. By February 2025, ChatGPT boasted 400 million weekly active users worldwide. This figure nearly doubled in a few weeks, reaching close to 800 million weekly active users as of May 2025, a milestone Altman alluded to at TED 2025 in a conversation with Chris Anderson. Currently, ChatGPT has close to 800 million weekly active users and approximately 122.58 million daily users.

Altman shared on X (formerly Twitter) that the number of messages per day has increased even more significantly than the user count. He also commended the engineering team for enhancing the platform's reliability and speed amidst this rapid expansion. The surge in user engagement can be attributed to several factors, including the release of GPT-4o and viral trends such as the Studio Ghibli-style image generation in March 2025, which saw one million users flock to the platform within a single hour.

Driving Factors and Technological Advancements

The introduction of GPT-4o, OpenAI's advanced image-generation model, played a pivotal role in attracting new users and boosting engagement. This model enabled users to create images and videos in various styles, including the distinctive aesthetic of Studio Ghibli films. The "Ghibli mode" became a viral sensation, further propelling ChatGPT's popularity.

OpenAI has also focused on enhancing the platform's capabilities, including natural language processing, logical reasoning, task execution, and information retrieval. These improvements have made ChatGPT more versatile and user-friendly, attracting a broader audience.

Global Reach and Demographics

ChatGPT's user base spans across the globe, with the United States leading in adoption. As of February 2024, 23% of US adults reported having used ChatGPT, with nearly half (43%) of adults aged 18-29 having tried the platform. Other countries with significant ChatGPT usage include India, Brazil, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

ChatGPT has also found widespread use in professional settings. Approximately 92% of Fortune 100 companies utilize the platform, and it has become a valuable tool for software developers, marketers, and other professionals.

Financial Performance and Future Outlook

OpenAI's revenue has seen substantial growth, driven by ChatGPT's increasing popularity. In 2024, OpenAI generated $3.7 billion in revenue from ChatGPT, a 285% increase from the previous year. Projections indicate that OpenAI is on track to reach $11 billion in revenue by the end of 2025. The company's valuation has also soared, reaching $157 billion as of April 2025.

Looking ahead, OpenAI aims to expand ChatGPT's user base to one billion weekly active users by the end of 2025. The company is also working on GPT-5, the next iteration of its language model, which is expected to combine multiple OpenAI models into one. The future looks promising, with continued innovations and expansions planned, positioning ChatGPT as a central force in the evolving AI landscape.