one year on
ChatGPT reaches 100 million users two months after launch, analysts say
Analysts say the AI chatbot may be the fastest-growing consumer internet application ever, outpacing TikTok and Instagram adoption rates.
ChatGPT has reached 100 million users just two months after its public launch in late November, according to analysis from data firm Similarweb and investment bank UBS.
The chatbot logged roughly 590 million visits in January from 100 million unique visitors. Analysts at UBS called the adoption rate “unprecedented” for a consumer internet application, noting that TikTok took about nine months to hit the same milestone after its global launch and Instagram took more than two years.
OpenAI, the Microsoft-backed company behind ChatGPT, also announced a $20 monthly subscription tier called ChatGPT Plus, initially available only in the United States. The company says the premium service will offer more stable and faster access, along with early access to new features.
The rapid growth comes as OpenAI faces substantial computing costs for running the free service. The company expects subscription revenue to help offset those expenses.
The record
Called the growth unprecedented in 20 years of the internet space, saying they cannot recall a faster ramp in a consumer internet app.
One year later — open only if you can handle spoilers
The 100 million user figure became the defining statistic of the AI boom, cited in nearly every startup pitch and analyst note for the next two years. OpenAI's $20/month subscription launched a wave of AI monetization experiments across the industry.