OpenAI has announced that its popular AI chatbot, ChatGPT, has reached a significant milestone, with 200 million weekly active users. This represents a significant increase from the 100 million users reported by the company just last November. The surge in user growth is accompanied by a doubling of API usage since the release of GPT-4o mini in July, according to a company representative.
The growth in user numbers is not the only notable achievement for OpenAI. CEO Sam Altman reportedly informed employees that the company’s annualized revenue has reached $3.4 billion, a substantial increase from the $1.6 billion reported at the end of 2023. This significant revenue growth underscores the company’s rapid expansion and increasing influence in the AI industry.
In a separate development, The Wall Street Journal reported that tech giants Apple, Nvidia, and Microsoft are in discussions to invest in a new fundraising round for OpenAI. Although details of the funding round are scarce, the report suggests that it will propel OpenAI’s valuation above $100 billion.
Notably, Microsoft has already invested heavily in OpenAI, committing $13 billion to the AI business since 2019. Apple, meanwhile, has revealed plans to integrate ChatGPT into its upcoming Apple Intelligence initiative. However, both Microsoft and Apple have recently relinquished their seats on OpenAI’s board of directors, following concerns raised by the European Commission about the close relationships between the companies.
