ChatGPT surpasses 200 million weekly users, OpenAI eyes new heights

OpenAI’s ChatGPT has now reached over 200 million weekly active users, which is a major achievement in the generative AI field. The company’s main chatbot, launched in November 2022, gained two million active users within a year, making it one of the most successful apps in history. 

OpenAI’s products have been used in many sectors, and the company claims that 92% of Fortune 500 companies have used its products. The use of the chatbot has been most effective in integrating it into daily practices in areas like healthcare and education. 

SearchGPT prototype challenges traditional search engines

The CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, pointed this out, saying that their tools are now making a ‘real impact’ in areas such as healthcare and education, be it through assisting in tasks, solving problems, or enhancing creativity. 

Recently, OpenAI unveiled a new search engine prototype called SearchGPT which is capable of conducting conversation as a sign that the company is eyeing to expand its services beyond the usual AI applications. SearchGPT was released last month and at the moment it is still in the limited preview but it will roll out the most successful features into ChatGPT. This development puts OpenAI in direct competition with tech giants like Google as the company seeks to redefine the search experience. 

As competition heats up between Big Tech firms such as Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Meta to match OpenAI, the startup is said to be seeking to raise several billion dollars to accelerate its expansion. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft, Apple, and Thrive Capital may join this round of funding, which may value OpenAI at more than $100 billion.

OpenAI partners with the US government to advance AI research

Additionally, OpenAI has partnered with the United States government for research, testing, and evaluation of AI models. The US Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute revealed these first-of-a-kind agreements on Thursday in a bid to improve the usage of AI technologies. 

The agreements are timely, given that AI companies are currently grappling with more regulation. In California, lawmakers are ready to pass a bill that can set policies for the use of AI and its creation in California. 

South Africa has become one of the most advanced countries in using AI technologies, especially ChatGPT. The Boston Consulting Group’s (BCG) CCI Global Consumer Sentiment Survey revealed that South Africa is among the ten countries with the highest respondents’ usage of AI. According to the BCG survey, India is the most advanced country in the adoption of ChatGPT, with 45% of the users using it frequently. The UAE and Morocco come next with 38% and 34% respectively.