ChatGPT Hits 1 Billion Users as AI Sentiment Sours

OpenAI's ChatGPT crossed 1 billion monthly app users in May, making it the fastest app ever to reach that milestone, according to Sensor Tower. The previous record holder, Google Maps, took about five years from launch. ChatGPT did it in roughly 3.5 years.

The number lands at an awkward moment for the industry. College graduates have jeered at AI mentions during commencement speeches. The Pope warned about inequality and safety risks. Anthropic, a rival developer, called for a pause in global AI development, saying unmitigated progress could spiral out of control.

Yet usage keeps climbing. Sensor Tower estimates that ChatGPT's monthly active users hit the billion mark across iOS and Android. OpenAI said in February it had more than 900 million weekly active users across web and mobile, and claimed six times the monthly web visits of the next largest AI platform.

The simple read is that ChatGPT dominates. The better read is that its lead is narrowing. Monthly usage of Claude, Anthropic's model, rose 640% year-over-year. Meta AI grew 973%. ChatGPT's own growth was 62% over the same period. Sensor Tower senior insights analyst Abe Yousef told CNBC that competitors have gained on tangible model improvements and shifting market sentiment.

One clear example of sentiment driving market share: OpenAI's February deal with the U.S. Department of Defense to deploy models on classified Pentagon networks. The day after the announcement, ChatGPT uninstalls surged about 295% day-over-day, Sensor Tower data showed. Claude shot to the top of the Apple (AAPL) profile App Store that same weekend, outpacing ChatGPT by U.S. downloads for the first time. Anthropic had refused involvement in Pentagon operations.

Both companies are now pursuing public listings. OpenAI submitted its IPO filing Monday afternoon, following Anthropic's filing a week earlier. The dual listings set up a direct comparison for investors weighing user growth against ethical positioning.

Hanno Stegmann, managing director at BCG X, said the broader adoption trajectory shows no sign of slowing. A BCG poll of about 12,000 frontline workers released June 3 found that 74% regularly use AI, up 23 percentage points year-over-year. More than 40% of regular users said they save the equivalent of a full workday each week. The United Nations estimates the AI market could exceed $4.8 trillion by 2033.

Stegmann acknowledged the uncertainty. "I understand why a generation entering the workforce and into this much change feels uncertain. That is a rational response to a genuine transition," he said.

Yousef put it more bluntly: "While negative sentiment towards AI... is undeniably growing, consumers are increasingly using and relying on these platforms."

The data suggests that sentiment can shift market share between platforms but has not dented overall usage. The question for investors watching the upcoming IPOs is whether the market can sustain multiple large AI platforms, or whether the network effects of ChatGPT's early lead will prove durable despite the faster growth of its rivals. Meta's AI Spending: The $65 Billion Bet on Future Returns shows how much capital is flowing into the space. The next few quarters of user data will tell which bet is winning.