The idea that consumer AI has reached a stage where interest has waned just changed with new information. An internal memo from OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, reported by CNBC, revealed that ChatGPT is growing again, with over a 10% increase each month.
This is surprising for a product that already has 800 million active users weekly, as most apps slow to single-digit growth at this scale. The recent growth suggests that OpenAI has moved its users from “tourists,” who use the chatbot for casual chats, to “residents,” who rely on it for daily tasks.
The Driver: Coding and Reasoning
This growth does not come from casual conversations; it’s driven by practical use. Altman’s memo pointed out a significant increase in OpenAI’s coding tools. Usage of Codex, which is focused on programming, jumped 50% in just one week. This correlates with the launch of o3-mini, a model designed for “reasoning” in areas like STEM and coding, rather than creative writing. There is a broader trend where users are shifting from generating content to solving problems. Now, users ask ChatGPT to help debug software and design systems instead of just writing emails.
The “DeepSeek Effect”
The timing of this growth is important. Late 2025 saw a slowdown in ChatGPT’s downloads, leading to concerns that the market was full. At the same time, a Chinese rival, DeepSeek, introduced its “R1” model, which provided strong reasoning at a lower cost, reducing prices in the market. Rather than harming OpenAI, this competition pushed them to work faster. Their “Code Red” response in December led to the release of o3-mini and updates to their coding tools, sparking this new wave of users.
Next Steps: Ads and IPO Prep
The memo also announced a big change in OpenAI’s business model: Advertising. OpenAI will start testing ads for free users this week. These ads will appear at the bottom of responses and will be clearly labelled. With growth picking up again, OpenAI aims to make money from its large free user base to help cover high costs for these new models. This growth data likely helps build investor confidence as OpenAI prepares for a funding round that might value the company at nearly $300 billion.
