ChatGPT Reaches 1 Billion Monthly Users as AI Adoption Accelerates, Sensor Tower Says

OpenAI’s ChatGPT surpassed 1 billion monthly average users in May, marking a major milestone in the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence sector, according to estimates from digital market intelligence firm Sensor Tower.

The achievement comes less than four years after ChatGPT’s launch in November 2022 and makes it the fastest platform to reach the 1 billion-user mark since Google Maps, according to the report. Sensor Tower estimates ChatGPT’s user base grew 62% year-over-year.

The milestone underscores the continued mainstream adoption of generative AI tools despite growing public concerns surrounding AI development, regulation, and societal impact.

“While negative sentiment towards AI is undeniably growing, consumers are increasingly using and relying on these platforms,” Abe Yousef, Senior Insights Analyst at Sensor Tower, told CNBC.

OpenAI reported in February that ChatGPT had surpassed 900 million weekly active users and generated six times as many monthly mobile sessions and web visits as the next-largest AI platform.

Competition in the AI assistant market continues to intensify. OpenAI faces challenges from Google’s Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude, Meta AI, and ByteDance’s AI offerings, including Doubao and Dola.

While ChatGPT remains the market leader, several competitors are experiencing rapid growth. Sensor Tower estimates Anthropic’s Claude expanded its user base by 640% year-over-year, while Meta AI grew 973% during the same period.

The figures suggest that consumer adoption of AI platforms continues to accelerate as technology companies invest heavily in expanding capabilities and integrating AI tools across consumer and enterprise applications.

As the market matures, industry observers are increasingly focused not only on user growth but also on engagement, retention, and monetization strategies among the sector’s leading players.