OpenAI CEO Sam Altman just delivered a bullish update to employees: ChatGPT's monthly growth has climbed back above 10%, reversing what many feared was a cooling trajectory for the AI chatbot. The timing couldn't be more strategic - the revelation comes as OpenAI closes in on a massive funding round that would value the company at nearly $100 billion, cementing its position as the most valuable private AI startup even as competition from Google, Meta, and Anthropic intensifies.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is rallying the troops with fresh growth numbers that suggest ChatGPT isn't slowing down. In an internal communication to employees, Altman revealed that the AI chatbot's monthly growth rate has climbed back above 10%, a significant acceleration that comes at a pivotal moment for the company, according to CNBC.
The disclosure arrives as OpenAI barrels toward a funding round that would value the San Francisco-based company at approximately $100 billion, a staggering figure that would cement its status as the most valuable private artificial intelligence company in the world. For context, that valuation would put OpenAI in the same league as established tech giants and far ahead of AI competitors like Anthropic, which raised funding at a $18 billion valuation last year.
Altman's message to staff appears designed to counter any internal concerns about ChatGPT's momentum. The AI industry has been watching OpenAI's growth closely, especially as competitors roll out increasingly capable alternatives. Google has been aggressively pushing its Gemini models across search and productivity tools, while Meta has open-sourced its Llama family of models, enabling developers worldwide to build competing applications without paying OpenAI's API fees.
The reacceleration is particularly noteworthy given the natural maturation curve most consumer applications face. ChatGPT exploded onto the scene in late 2022, becoming the fastest-growing consumer application in history by hitting 100 million users in just two months. Maintaining double-digit monthly growth at that scale is exceptionally difficult - even Instagram and YouTube took years to achieve comparable user bases.
