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OpenAI is experiencing noteworthy growth, even as competition in the artificial intelligence sector intensifies.
As of February, the San Francisco-based company reported having 400 million weekly active users, a significant increase of 33% from 300 million in December, according to Brad Lightcap, OpenAI’s chief operating officer. This data had not been disclosed prior to this announcement.
Lightcap attributes this surge partly to the “natural progression” of ChatGPT, which is becoming more widely recognized and applied by a diverse audience. “Word of mouth has played a crucial role. People observe its utility and see friends benefitting from it,” he noted in a recent interview. He emphasized that it takes time for users to uncover meaningful applications of the technology. “There’s a growing desire for these tools as users recognize their value,” he stated.
This increasing consumer adoption is translating into growth within OpenAI’s enterprise sector, where the number of paying enterprise users has skyrocketed to 2 million, nearly doubling since September. Lightcap indicated that employees often introduce ChatGPT to their organizations after experiencing it personally.
“We gain numerous advantages from organic consumer adoption as familiarity with our product rises,” he explained. “The growth trajectory is quite promising.”
Further, the surge in developer activity has doubled in the last six months, with a fivefold increase in usage of the company’s advanced “reasoning” model, o3. Notable enterprise clients include Uber, Morgan Stanley, Moderna, and T-Mobile, who are integrating OpenAI’s technology into their systems.
Lightcap compared OpenAI’s trajectory to the evolution of cloud services, which took root with Amazon Web Services two decades ago. He acknowledged that while consumer adoption may outpace enterprise expansion, building a robust enterprise business involves a nuanced buying cycle and considerable learning.
“Scaling an enterprise operation entails a buy-in process and a steep learning curve. AI is set to underpin modern business development, similar to the influence of cloud services,” Lightcap remarked.
The DeepSeek Effect
This growth occurs amidst rising competition from the Chinese company DeepSeek, which created turbulence in tech markets early in the year by raising concerns about the potential threat to profitability for U.S. AI firms and their market position. Major tech companies, including Nvidia, saw substantial losses; Nvidia, for example, dropped 17% in market value, amounting to nearly $600 billion, on that pivotal day.
In response to the competitive landscape, OpenAI accused DeepSeek of engaging in distillation, an inappropriate technique to replicate its models. However, Lightcap asserted that this new competition had not swayed OpenAI’s policies regarding open-source practices or their product strategies.
“DeepSeek’s rise highlights the rapid integration of AI into the public domain—once a notion far removed from public discourse,” he observed. “This situation underscores the immense capabilities of AI models and the public’s genuine interest in them.”
In conjunction with competition from DeepSeek, OpenAI is navigating a challenging legal landscape. Billionaire Elon Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI, has filed a lawsuit against the company claiming breach of contract as it transitions towards a for-profit model. Microsoft has significantly invested in OpenAI, contributing billions, while reports suggest SoftBank is close to securing a $40 billion investment, which could elevate the company’s valuation near $300 billion.
Musk, alongside other investors, aimed to acquire the nonprofit’s assets for $97.4 billion earlier this month. OpenAI’s legal representatives informed Musk’s counsel that the board deemed his “high-profile bid” was not a valid offer. The chairman of OpenAI, Bret Taylor, reiterated that the company “is not for sale.”
“The figures speak volumes,” Lightcap commented. “We strive for transparency in our processes. (Musk) is vying as a competitor, albeit in an unconventional manner.”
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