ChatGPT, the widely used AI chatbot, hit 100 million users within a mere two months of its introduction. Data firm Similarweb’s analysis revealed that ChatGPT received roughly 590 million visits in January from 100 million distinct visitors. Investment bank UBS’s analysts stated that the rate of growth for the chatbot was unparalleled for a consumer application.
“In 20 years following the internet space, we cannot recall a faster ramp in a consumer internet app,”
UBS analysts wrote in the note, reported by Reuters.
In contrast, data from app analysis company Sensor Tower shows that it took TikTok approximately nine months following its worldwide launch to reach 100 million users, while it took Instagram over two years to reach this milestone.
ChatGPT can generate articles, essays, jokes, poetry and job applications in response to text prompts. OpenAI, a private company backed by Microsoft, made it available to the public for free in late November.
OpenAI 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.
OpenAI announced on Thursday the availability of a $20 monthly subscription, initially limited to users in the United States. The company stated that the subscription would offer a more reliable and efficient service, as well as the chance to be among the first to try new features.
Analysts consider the rapid growth of ChatGPT to give OpenAI a competitive edge over other AI firms. Despite the high computing costs incurred by the increasing usage of the chatbot, it has also generated valuable feedback that can be utilized to enhance its response capabilities.
OpenAI stated that the subscription income would aid in covering the cost of computing.
In January, Microsoft revealed a new multibillion-dollar investment in OpenAI in the form of both cash and cloud computing support. On Wednesday, Microsoft introduced a premium version of its Teams product, powered by ChatGPT, featuring AI-enhanced features such as automatically generated meeting notes and transcript-based division of meeting recap sections.
