OpenAI announced a remarkable achievement on February 20, 2025, that it now serves 400 million weekly active users.
OpenAI’s Chief Operating Officer, Brad Lightcap, expressed gratitude on X, stating, “We feel very fortunate to serve 5 percent of the world every week.” This growth underscores the increasing adoption of AI tools globally.
This milestone represents a 33 per cent increase from the 300 million users reported in December 2024, double the figures from August 2024.
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OpenAI’s user growth and enterprise expansion
The user surge is not limited to individual consumers; OpenAI’s enterprise sector has grown significantly. The number of paying enterprise clients has doubled since September 2024, reaching 2 million.
Lightcap noted that many employees use ChatGPT personally before recommending it to their companies, creating a cycle of organic adoption.
He remarked, “People hear about it through word of mouth. They see the utility of it. They see their friends using it.”
In addition to user growth, OpenAI reported a twofold increase in developer traffic for its reasoning models over the last six months.
The launch of its o3 model in late January has sparked a fivefold surge in developer interest, indicating a robust engagement with its technology.
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Competition from DeepSeek
Despite OpenAI’s success, competition in the AI landscape is intensifying. The recent launch of DeepSeek, a Chinese AI company, has raised concerns as it claims its models can rival OpenAI’s at a significantly lower cost.
This development has prompted discussions about sustainability and profitability within the AI sector.
Eric Seufert, a tech analyst, highlighted the challenges, stating, “But the problem is, consumers are just going to migrate to whichever model or whichever app they feel best serves them.”
OpenAI aims to maintain its leadership in the evolving AI market by expanding its user base and developer engagement amid rising competition.