ChatGPT reaches 100 million users two months after launch

Introduction

ChatGPT, the popular artificial intelligence chatbot, has reached 100 million users just two months after launching, according to analysts. It had about 590m visits in January from 100 million unique visitors, according to analysis by data firm Similarweb. This article will explore the unprecedented growth of ChatGPT and its potential impact on the AI industry.

ChatGPT's Growth

Investment bank UBS said that the rate of growth for ChatGPT is unprecedented for a consumer app. By comparison, it took TikTok about nine months after its global launch to reach 100 million users and Instagram more than two years, according to data from Sensor Tower, an app analysis firm. ChatGPT can generate articles, essays, jokes, poetry, and job applications in response to text prompts. It is a private company backed by Microsoft and was made available to the public for free in late November.

OpenAI's Innovations

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has also developed the AI-powered image generator Dall-E and is at the forefront of generative AI, or technology trained on vast amounts of text and images that can create content from a simple text prompt. On Thursday, OpenAI announced a $20 monthly subscription, initially for users in the United States only. It would provide a more stable and faster service as well as the opportunity to try new features first, the company said.

Implications for the AI Industry

Analysts believe the viral launch of ChatGPT will give OpenAI a first-mover advantage against other AI companies. The growing usage, while imposing substantial computing cost on OpenAI, has also provided valuable feedback to help train the chatbot’s responses. Subscription revenue would help cover the computing cost. Microsoft also announced another multibillion-dollar investment in OpenAI in the form of cash and provision of cloud computing. This shows the potential impact that ChatGPT could have on the AI industry and its future innovation.