ChatGPT reached one billion monthly app users in May, according to market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, despite mounting public concerns about artificial intelligence development. The milestone was achieved roughly 3.5 years after the app's November 2022 launch, making ChatGPT the fastest app ever to reach one billion users and surpassing the previous record held by Google Maps. The surge in AI usage occurred as college graduates jeered mentions of AI at commencement speeches and entities including the Pope and technology company Anthropic issued warnings about unmitigated AI development risks.
ChatGPT Becomes Fastest App to Reach One Billion Users
With its billion-user figure achieved roughly 3.5 years after its November 2022 launch, ChatGPT became the fastest app ever to reach the milestone, surpassing the previous record set by Google Maps, which took around five years after launch to reach the same volume of usage, Sensor Tower said. OpenAI said in February that ChatGPT saw more than 900 million weekly active users across web and mobile platforms and claimed it had more than six times the monthly web visits and mobile sessions of the next largest AI platform.
Competitor AI Platforms Show Triple-Digit Growth Rates
According to Sensor Tower, OpenAI's market-leading large language model was trailed by offerings from its competitors, including Google's Gemini, ByteDance's Doubao and its overseas variant Dola, as well as Claude from rival developer Anthropic. Monthly usage of Claude and Meta AI respectively rose by 640% and 973% year-on-year, compared to ChatGPT's 62%, per Sensor Tower estimates. Abe Yousef, Sensor Tower's senior insights analyst, said usage of ChatGPT's competition has grown on tangible model improvements, as well as more positive market sentiment.
Pentagon Deal Triggers Surge in ChatGPT Uninstalls
Yousef cited OpenAI's February deal with the U.S. Department of Defense to deploy its models on classified Pentagon networks as an instance where public unease drove usership. ChatGPT uninstalls surged around 295% day-on-day on Feb. 28 — the day after OpenAI announced its Pentagon agreement, according to Sensor Tower data. Anthropic gained a boost from sentiment toward ChatGPT, as Claude soared to the App Store's top spot that same weekend, outpacing ChatGPT by U.S. downloads for the first time, after it refused involvement in Pentagon operations.
OpenAI and Anthropic File for Public Listings
Both Anthropic and OpenAI have recently begun proceedings for widely anticipated public listings. Sam Altman's OpenAI submitted its IPO filing Monday afternoon stateside, hot on the heels of Anthropic, which filed its IPO prospectus with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission a week earlier.
Anthropic Calls for Pause in Global AI Development
Tech giant Anthropic called on Friday for a pause in global AI development, warning that unmitigated development could fast get out of control. "If systems are capable of fully building their own successors, the ways we secure them, monitor them, and shape their behavior all grow much more important," the company wrote in a blog post. Anthropic's statements echoed earlier claims from Pope Leo in a letter published May 25, warning of widening inequality and public safety concerns driven by the world's insatiable AI demand.
Frontline Workers Report Widespread AI Adoption
"The strong trajectory of AI adoption shows no sign of slowing," said Hanno Stegmann, managing director and partner at the Boston Consulting Group's AI and technology team, BCG X. A BCG poll of around 12,000 frontline workers released June 3 showed that 74% regularly use AI, up 23 percentage points year-on-year, and more than 40% of regular users reported saving the equivalent of a full workday each week. Meanwhile, the United Nations estimated that the burgeoning AI market could reach more than $4.8 trillion by 2033. "While negative sentiment towards AI is undeniably growing, consumers are increasingly using and relying on these platforms," said Sensor Tower's Yousef.
FAQ
How many monthly users did ChatGPT reach in May?
ChatGPT reached one billion monthly app users in May, according to market intelligence firm Sensor Tower.
How fast did ChatGPT reach one billion users compared to other apps?
ChatGPT achieved the milestone roughly 3.5 years after its November 2022 launch, making it the fastest app ever to reach one billion users and surpassing the previous record set by Google Maps, which took around five years.
What percentage of frontline workers regularly use AI according to the BCG poll?
A BCG poll of around 12,000 frontline workers released June 3 showed that 74% regularly use AI, up 23 percentage points year-on-year.
