The Washington Post has reported that OpenAI’s highly popular ChatGPT has experienced a decline in user numbers for the first time since its launch. This development raises the possibility that the AI chatbot’s popularity may have peaked.
According to Similarweb, an internet data firm, mobile and desktop traffic to the AI chatbot’s website dropped by nearly ten percent in June compared to the previous month. On the surface, this decline may look concerning for OpenAI, considering the significant investment the company has made to maintain and operate the AI chatbot.
It is worth noting that ChatGPT gained significant attention earlier this year for its rapid growth, being hailed as the fastest-growing application. It was estimated to have reached around 100 million active monthly users within two months. However, Meta’s Threads has surpassed this record, amassing 100 million users in just five days.
The current decline in user numbers begs the question of whether this is an indication of future trends or simply a temporary setback. Has the public’s fascination with AI already reached its peak, or are the ongoing issues and limitations of the technology becoming more apparent and affecting its popularity? Further analysis and observation will be necessary to determine the long-term trajectory of AI’s public reception.
Why OpenAI isn’t worried
OpenAI makes very little money from the free version of ChatGPT, and this was what most people were using. OpenAI makes some money from people who have subscribed to ChatGPT Plus. Even though this number has fallen, engineers at OpenAI had also anticipated this.
ChatGPT makes most of its money from the APIs and plugins it sells to businesses. Having seen what GPT-4 and GPT3.5 are capable of, companies are ready to pay through their nose for OpenAI’s plugins. And the plugins are a regular source of income that brings monthly revenue.
ChatGPT makes money when paying customers, whether private users or paying businesses, access its LLM, or large language model, GPT-4. As long as people are accessing that, OpenAI has no reason to worry. But there’s a catch.
ChatGPT is still as popular as ever.
ChatGPT has faced various issues, such as providing incorrect answers and implementing certain subject restrictions. These challenges, along with the emergence of alternative tools and the diminishing novelty factor, may contribute to the decrease in user numbers as the school year concludes.
However, it is important to recognize that the ability to generate content using artificial intelligence is just one aspect of the broader impact AI can have. Artificial intelligence has the potential to be applied across numerous domains where intelligence is currently utilized, making it a significant and enduring concept.
The decline in usage of ChatGPT should not be seen as a definitive reflection of the future of artificial intelligence. Developing new technologies takes time, and it is crucial to remain steadfast and committed to the ongoing progress in the field.
School Vacations partly to blame?
The Washington Post’s speculation that the decline in ChatGPT usage could be attributed to the end of the school year and reduced usage by college students during summer break seems plausible. Additionally, concerns about data security, such as Samsung’s reported prohibition on using AI chatbots by employees, may contribute to the decrease in user numbers.
Understandably, OpenAI may not be overly concerned about the decline in usage of the public version of ChatGPT. There could be various reasons, such as focusing on refining the technology, addressing limitations, or potentially transitioning to other platforms or target markets. It is important to note that OpenAI continues to advance and develop new versions of its AI models.
