ChatGPT, the widely popular AI chatbot launched by OpenAI, has experienced a decline in website traffic and unique visitors.
This unexpected slowdown could raise questions about the sustainability of its exponential growth, or the long-term implications are yet to be.
ChatGPT's Phenomenal Rise
Since its launch in November, ChatGPT has taken the AI world by storm, revolutionizing daily tasks from writing to coding and taking over the most bizarre human jobs like officiating weddings and giving medical advice to dogs.
In just two months, it surpassed 100 million monthly active users, making it the fastest-growing consumer application in history.
With over 1.5 billion monthly visits, ChatGPT has become one of the top 20 websites globally, surpassing Microsoft's Bing search engine, which uses OpenAI's technology.
Is ChatGPT on the decline?
Reuters reports that June marked the first decline in ChatGPT's monthly traffic and unique visitors, according to analytics firm Similarweb.
Worldwide desktop and mobile traffic to the ChatGPT website decreased by 9.7% compared to May, while unique visitors dropped by 5.7%.
Furthermore, the amount of time spent on the website decreased by 8.5%. These figures raise concerns about the sustainability of ChatGPT's growth trajectory.
Possible Explanations
Several factors may have contributed to the decline in ChatGPT's metrics.
One possible reason is the introduction of competing AI chatbots, including Google's Bard, which have gained traction in recent months.
We reported in late May that a domain registry saw an increase in registrations for.ai domains that is outpacing the growth rate of traditional.com domains.
With over 170,000 domains already registered under.ai, this spike demonstrates the growing significance of artificial intelligence (AI) in the technology sector.
Additionally, OpenAI launched the ChatGPT app on iOS in May, potentially diverting traffic from the website.
Another factor that could have influenced the decline is the summer break for schools, with fewer students seeking assistance with homework during this period.
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Managing Costs and Premium Subscription
Interestingly, the recent slowdown in growth might have a silver lining for OpenAI.
Running ChatGPT requires intensive computing power, resulting in "eye-watering" operational costs. By controlling the growth, OpenAI could potentially mitigate these costs.
Furthermore, OpenAI offers a premium subscription for ChatGPT, granting users access to the advanced GPT-4 model for a monthly fee of $20. Surprisingly, over half a million users have already subscribed to this premium service, highlighting the demand for enhanced AI capabilities.
Insider Intelligence Report
A recent report by Insider Intelligence provides intriguing insights into the future of generative AI apps in the United States.
It predicts a staggering 882% increase in ChatGPT usage in 2023, reaching 61.5 million users, and anticipates over 77 million users by 2024.
However, the report also suggests that ChatGPT's market share may decline in 2025 as alternative options become available in the market.
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