ChatGPT Nears Billion-User Milestone as OpenAI Secures Historic Funding

OpenAI announced on Friday that its flagship product, ChatGPT, now serves 900 million users every week. The figure puts the artificial intelligence tool on the cusp of a global milestone, just 100 million short of one billion regular users. The company also reported crossing 50 million paying subscribers, noting that new sign-ups in January and February are set to break internal records.

In a blog post, OpenAI stated that scaling usage directly improves the user experience, leading to faster response times, greater reliability, and more consistent performance. People are increasingly turning to the chatbot for tasks ranging from learning and writing to planning and software development.

The user growth update accompanied a staggering financial announcement. OpenAI has raised $110 billion in a private funding round that ranks among the largest in history. The round values the company at $730 billion before the new investment. Major commitments include $50 billion from Amazon, with Nvidia and SoftBank each contributing $30 billion. The funding round remains open, with expectations of further investor participation.

The capital infusion and user growth underscore ChatGPT's entrenched position in daily digital life, even as the technology sector navigates a complex regulatory environment under the second Trump administration.