OpenAI's artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT surpassed 1 billion active users 3 years and 8 months after its launch. Compared with Facebook taking about six years to reach 1 billion users, that is more than two years faster.
OpenAI said on the 31st of last month (local time) that ChatGPT's active users topped 1 billion and that corporate customers also exceeded 2 million.
ChatGPT, launched on Nov. 30, 2022, led the Generative AI boom by gaining 1 million sign-ups in five days. It surpassed 100 million weekly active users (WAU) one year after launch, then continued steep growth, reaching 200 million in Aug. 2024, 500 million in Aug. 2025, and 800 million in Oct. of the same year.
However, its growth pace has since slowed somewhat. OpenAI set a goal of reaching 1 billion users by the end of last year but fell short. After surpassing 900 million in Feb. this year, it took about five more months to break 1 billion.
Industry watchers attribute this to the rapid growth of competitors' AI models over the same period, including Google and Anthropic. Anthropic rolled out "Claude Mythos 5" and "Fable 5" in succession, and at one point its valuation surpassed OpenAI's.
OpenAI also responded by releasing new models. It unveiled "GPT-5.6 Sol," the coding-specialized model "Codex," and the AI agent service "ChatGPT Work," and introduced "GPT-5.6 Terra" and "GPT-5.6 Luna," which improved expense efficiency, to strengthen price competitiveness.
The user count announcement came right after prices for the GPT-5.6 Terra and Luna models were cut by 20%–80%. OpenAI Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Sarah Friar described the pricing strategy as the "Economics of Abundance."
Friar, the CFO, said, "As the expense of useful intelligence falls, the scope of tasks with practical value expands," adding, "As users build trust in AI technology, their level of utilization is also deepening."
Regarding infrastructure investment strategy, the company noted, "Our aim is not simply to build the most infrastructure, but to focus on supplying the needed capacity at the right time to meet verified demand."