OpenAI Reports 900M Weekly ChatGPT Users as Company Valuation Soars to $730B

OpenAI has revealed that ChatGPT now has over 900 million weekly active users and more than 50 million consumer subscribers, indicating the AI chatbot has achieved unprecedented mainstream adoption. The company also reported that weekly Codex users have more than tripled since the beginning of the year, reaching 1.6 million users, reflecting growing interest in AI-powered coding assistance.

These statistics, announced by OpenAI, demonstrate the rapid acceleration of generative AI adoption across consumer and professional applications. The 900 million weekly active users figure positions ChatGPT as one of the most widely used digital platforms globally, comparable in scale to major social media platforms.

Accompanying this user growth, OpenAI has secured a $110 billion funding round at a $730 billion pre-money valuation, significantly up from the $500 billion valuation in a secondary financing just last October. Amazon invested $50 billion in this round, while Nvidia and SoftBank each invested $30 billion, underscoring the intense competition and capital flowing into the AI sector.

In a related development, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has stated that the company shares Anthropic's red lines regarding AI use by the military, specifically opposing domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons. In a memo to staff, Altman indicated that OpenAI seeks a Department of Defense deal but with clear limitations on use cases, aiming to "help de-escalate" the ongoing conflict between Anthropic and the Pentagon.

The Anthropic-DOD standoff has intensified recently, with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei stating that the company cannot "in good conscience" accede to the DOD's request to remove safeguards. Anthropic has been negotiating with the Pentagon about using Claude AI tools, particularly in hypothetical nuclear missile attack scenarios, but has raised concerns about potential mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons.

Meanwhile, in other industry developments, Block (formerly Square) announced it is laying off more than 4,000 employees, nearly half its workforce, citing that AI tools have changed "what it means to build and run a company." The company reported Q4 revenue of $6.25 billion, with a 33% surge in Cash App performance, yet the layoffs suggest significant workforce restructuring in response to AI-driven operational efficiencies.

The competitive landscape continues to evolve with Meta reportedly signing a multiyear deal to rent Google's TPUs for AI development while simultaneously scrapping its most advanced AI chip after struggling with the design. Additionally, over 100 Google DeepMind employees have urged Jeff Dean to block US military deals that use Gemini for mass surveillance or autonomous weapons, reflecting growing ethical concerns within AI companies about military applications.

OpenAI's user statistics and massive funding round highlight the company's dominant position in the generative AI market, but also raise questions about sustainability at this scale. The $730 billion valuation approaches the combined market capitalization of major tech companies, suggesting extraordinary expectations for future growth and profitability.

The company's simultaneous positioning on military AI use—seeking defense contracts while drawing red lines on certain applications—reflects the complex ethical and commercial considerations facing AI leaders. This approach differs from Anthropic's more confrontational stance but appears designed to maintain government relationships while avoiding the most controversial applications.

For developers and enterprise customers, OpenAI's continued growth in both consumer and professional AI tools suggests expanding opportunities for integration and innovation. The tripling of Codex users specifically indicates growing adoption of AI in software development workflows, a trend likely to accelerate as AI coding assistants become more sophisticated.

As the AI landscape continues to evolve rapidly, with massive funding rounds, user growth, and ethical debates occurring simultaneously, the industry appears to be entering a new phase of maturation where commercial success, technological capability, and ethical considerations must be balanced in increasingly complex ways.