ChatGPT, OpenAI’s leading AI chatbot, has achieved a new milestone by reaching 400 million weekly active users in February 2025, according to a recent report by VC firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). This marks a significant acceleration in user growth, doubling from 200 million in August 2024 a leap that took less than six months.

Initially, ChatGPT gained rapid traction after its November 2022 launch, hitting 100 million monthly active users within just two months, making it the fastest-growing app at the time. By November 2023, the chatbot had 100 million weekly active users, surging to 300 million in December 2024, and now crossing the 400 million mark.

According to a16z, ChatGPT's recent growth is largely fueled by new releases and technological upgrades. The launch of GPT-4o, which introduced multimodal capabilities, drove a sharp increase in usage between April and May 2024. Another boost came with the release of Advanced Voice Mode, which further expanded ChatGPT’s user base from July through August 2024.

The o1 model series also played a crucial role, sustaining growth from September to October 2024. These continuous upgrades have transformed ChatGPT from a novelty app into a tool integrated into users’ daily routines.

On mobile, the app's growth has been steady, with the mobile user base rising between 5% to 15% each month over the past year. Of ChatGPT’s total 400 million weekly active users, 175 million now access the app through mobile devices.

Despite strong growth, competition remains fierce. The a16z report highlights the rise of DeepSeek, an AI app that swiftly captured the No. 2 spot globally within 10 days of its launch. By February 2025, DeepSeek commanded 15% of ChatGPT’s mobile user base, ranking second in mobile usage.

Although DeepSeek users are slightly more engaged than those of other AI rivals like Perplexity and Claude, ChatGPT still dominates both mobile and web platforms. Data from Similarweb, cited by a16z, shows that ChatGPT leads in both unique monthly web visits and mobile active users.

The report also includes AI market insights, such as tool recommendations for developers, revenue rankings of top AI apps, and the latest standings of generative AI platforms. With ChatGPT’s user base continuing to expand, the AI app race is heating up, pushing platforms to innovate and capture the next wave of digital adoption.

PHOTO: UPH/TIRTO.ID

This article was created with AI assistance.