ChatGPT surpasses 1 billion monthly active users

ChatGPT reached one billion monthly active users in May, becoming the fastest consumer app to hit that milestone in just 3.5 years, according to Sensor Tower data. The growth outpaces earlier records set by Google Maps and other major platforms.

During the same period, rival AI services grew even faster. Meta AI’s user base rose 973% year‑on‑year and Anthropic’s Claude grew 640%, while ChatGPT’s growth slowed to 62%. A Pentagon contract for OpenAI’s models sparked a 295% day‑on‑day rise in ChatGPT uninstallations, allowing Claude to top U.S. download charts for the first time.

OpenAI and Anthropic are both preparing IPOs, with OpenAI filing a confidential S‑1 at an $852 billion valuation and Anthropic filing at $965 billion. Despite growing public skepticism—“While negative sentiment towards AI is undeniably growing,” noted a Sensor Tower analyst—usage remains high, with three‑quarters of surveyed frontline workers reporting regular AI use.