OpenAI's ChatGPT Nears 1 Billion Weekly Users, Half a Year Behind Schedule

OpenAI's artificial intelligence service, ChatGPT, is nearing a significant milestone of one billion weekly active users. However, this achievement comes approximately six months later than the company originally anticipated, according to reporting by The Information, which cites internal OpenAI disclosures.

The company had initially expected to reach this user target by the end of last year. The slower growth rate observed in recent months is attributed to a combination of intensified market competition and internal product development challenges.

Externally, the market for conversational AI has become significantly more crowded. Competitors such as Google's Gemini and Anthropic's Claude have rapidly emerged, diverting user attention and applying pressure to ChatGPT's market share.

Internally, criticism has been leveled at the performance of the new GPT-5 model, launched last fall. The model reportedly faced numerous development hurdles, and after its release, users raised concerns about its user experience. This has become a key factor contributing to the slower pace of growth for weekly active users following its introduction.