OpenAI's Weekly Active Users Surpass 400 Million, Enterprise Users Reach 2 Million: Rapid Growth Amidst Competitive Pressure

OpenAI's Weekly Active Users Surpass 400 Million, Enterprise Users Reach 2 Million: Rapid Growth Amidst Competitive PressureOpenAI's Chief Operating Officer, Brad Lightcap, recently announced impressive figures: as of February this year, OpenAI boasts a staggering 400 million weekly active users, a 33% increase from the 300 million recorded in December 2024. This robust growth is particularly noteworthy in the increasingly competitive AI market

OpenAI's Weekly Active Users Surpass 400 Million, Enterprise Users Reach 2 Million: Rapid Growth Amidst Competitive Pressure

OpenAI's Chief Operating Officer, Brad Lightcap, recently announced impressive figures: as of February this year, OpenAI boasts a staggering 400 million weekly active users, a 33% increase from the 300 million recorded in December 2024. This robust growth is particularly noteworthy in the increasingly competitive AI market. Lightcap attributes this success to ChatGPT's organic growth and widespread word-of-mouth marketing. "People learned about ChatGPT through word of mouth, saw its practicality, and saw their friends using it," Lightcap explained. "While it takes time for people to find the right use cases for themselves, overall, there's a very strong demand and recognition of the value of these tools."

This user growth has quickly translated into significant gains for OpenAI's enterprise business. Lightcap revealed that OpenAI now has 2 million paying enterprise users, a doubling since September of the previous year. Many employees, after personal use of ChatGPT, recommend the tool to their companies, a key driver of OpenAI's enterprise growth. "We've benefited enormously from consumer adoption, because people already have familiarity with the product," Lightcap stated. "The enterprise business is growing healthily on a different curve."

Beyond the significant user growth, OpenAI's developer traffic has also doubled in the past six months, with usage of its "reasoning" model, o3, increasing fivefold. More and more developers are integrating OpenAI's technology into their applications, further solidifying OpenAI's technological leadership in the AI field. Prominent companies such as Uber, Morgan Stanley, Moderna, and T-Mobile have become key enterprise clients, demonstrating the commercial value and market acceptance of OpenAI's technology.

Lightcap compared this usage trend to the rise of Amazon Web Services (AWS) twenty years ago. "While consumer growth might be faster because people can adopt casually," he explained, "the enterprise business is in a 'build' phase. Enterprise buying cycles are longer, and they need to learn how to scale gradually. AI, like cloud services, will be something that no enterprise will be able to operate without these powerful models underpinning it in the future." This suggests a promising future for OpenAI's enterprise-level services.

However, OpenAI's rapid growth hasn't been without its challenges. The emergence of Chinese competitor DeepSeek has presented a new hurdle. In January, DeepSeek's rapid development sent shockwaves through the tech market, with investors expressing concern about the potential threat to the profitability and market dominance of American AI companies. Large tech companies were significantly impacted; for example, Nvidia's market capitalization fell 17% (nearly $600 billion) on the Monday following DeepSeek's disruptive announcement. OpenAI has accused DeepSeek of illegally scraping model data through "distillation" techniques.

Despite the competitive pressure from DeepSeek, Lightcap stated that it hasn't altered OpenAI's view on open-source practices, nor has it impacted their product roadmap or large-scale investment plans. "The emergence of DeepSeek validates how deeply AI has gone into the mainstream public consciousness, something unimaginable just two years ago," Lightcap commented. "This moment both showcases the power of the models and reflects the intense focus on them." This demonstrates OpenAI's confidence in its technological capabilities and market position.

In addition to competition from DeepSeek, OpenAI is facing legal disputes with its co-founder, Elon Musk, who is suing OpenAI for breach of contract, alleging that it improperly transitioned into a for-profit company. Simultaneously, OpenAI is receiving significant investment from Microsoft and SoftBank. Microsoft has poured billions of dollars into OpenAI, while SoftBank is nearing the completion of a $40 billion investment, potentially valuing OpenAI at close to $300 billion. Earlier this month, Musk and a group of investors attempted to acquire the assets of OpenAI's non-profit entity for $97.4 billion, but the OpenAI board rejected the offer. OpenAI Chairman Bret Taylor made it clear that the company "is not for sale."

Lightcap remains confident about OpenAI's future. "The data speaks for itself," he concluded. "We've always strived for openness and transparency. Musk is a competitor; he's competing, just in a different way." This statement affirms OpenAI's recent achievements and demonstrates its firm commitment to its future direction. OpenAI will continue to focus on technological innovation and business expansion, aiming to maintain its leading position in the fiercely competitive AI market. Despite challenges from competitors and legal disputes, OpenAI's strong technological capabilities, substantial financial backing, and growing user base suggest it remains well-positioned to continue achieving remarkable success in the AI field. Its future development warrants continued attention.