ChatGPT website traffic drops for first time in June
ChatGPT, the AI chatbot that took the internet by storm when it was launched in November, experienced a decline in monthly traffic and unique visitors in June, according to analytics firm Similarweb. The website saw a decrease of 9.7% in worldwide desktop and mobile traffic compared to May, and a 5.7% drop in unique visitors. Additionally, the amount of time visitors spent on the website was down by 8.5%. OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, did not provide an immediate comment on these statistics.
ChatGPT gained immense popularity and reached a milestone of 100 million monthly active users in January, just two months after its launch. It quickly became the fastest-growing consumer application ever, with over 1.5 billion monthly visits, earning its place among the top 20 websites globally. It even surpassed Microsoft’s search engine, Bing, in terms of usage. However, the CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, described the cost of running the service as “eye-watering.”
The sudden decrease in traffic and unique visitors might be attributed to a variety of factors. Competitors like Google’s Bard chatbot have entered the market in recent months. Bing, powered by OpenAI’s technology, also offers a chatbot to users for free. Sarah Hindlian-Bowler, the head of Technology Research Americas at Macquarie, suggested that the drop in accuracy and potential regulatory implications, caused by the extraordinary infrastructure required to serve such a massive user base, could contribute to the decline.
In addition, OpenAI released the ChatGPT app on the iOS system in May, which could divert some traffic from the website. Another potential reason for the usage change is the summer break for schools, with fewer students seeking assistance with their homework.
Interestingly, the slowdown in growth could help alleviate the high costs associated with running ChatGPT, as the service requires significant computing power to address user queries. Despite being free to use, ChatGPT also offers a premium subscription for $20 per month, granting users access to OpenAI’s advanced model, GPT-4. YipitData estimates that approximately 1.5 million people have signed up for this subscription. OpenAI predicts that it will generate $200 million in revenue this year.
In addition to ChatGPT, OpenAI generates income by selling API access to its AI models directly to developers and enterprises. It has also partnered with Microsoft, which invested over $10 billion into the company.
FAQs:
1. What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is an AI chatbot developed by OpenAI that gained tremendous popularity for its ability to assist in various tasks, from writing to coding.
2. Why did ChatGPT experience a decline in traffic and visitors in June?
Factors such as the launch of competitors like Google’s Bard chatbot, potential accuracy issues due to the heavy infrastructure, and the summer break for schools could have contributed to the decline.
3. How does ChatGPT make money?
While the basic usage of ChatGPT is free, OpenAI offers a premium subscription for $20 per month, providing access to their advanced model, GPT-4. OpenAI also generates revenue by selling API access to its AI models and through a partnership with Microsoft.
4. How many people have subscribed to ChatGPT’s premium subscription?
According to estimates from YipitData, approximately 1.5 million people have signed up for the premium subscription.
5. How much revenue does OpenAI project for this year?
OpenAI anticipates generating $200 million in revenue in the current year.
June marks the first decrease in website traffic for ChatGPT
ChatGPT, the immensely popular AI chatbot launched in November, experienced a surprising decline in monthly traffic and unique visitors to its website in June, according to analytics firm Similarweb. The global desktop and mobile traffic to ChatGPT’s website dropped by 9.7% from May, and the number of unique visitors decreased by 5.7%. Furthermore, data from Similarweb revealed that visitors spent 8.5% less time on the site compared to previous months. Requests for comments from OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, went unanswered.
ChatGPT rapidly gained fame for its ability to assist with a variety of tasks, such as writing and coding, and reached an impressive milestone of 100 million monthly active users in January, just two months after its launch. With over 1.5 billion monthly visits, it has become one of the top 20 websites globally, surpassing even Microsoft’s Bing search engine, which utilizes OpenAI’s technology. However, running this service has been an expensive endeavor, as Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, described the costs as “eye-watering.”
The past few months have seen the emergence of several ChatGPT competitors, including Google’s Bard chatbot. Microsoft’s search engine, Bing, also offers a chatbot powered by OpenAI to its users free of charge. Sarah Hindlian-Bowler, head of Technology Research Americas at Macquarie, suggested that ChatGPT may be facing growing pains due to its rapid growth and the resulting strain on infrastructure, which could lead to decreased accuracy. Additionally, the implementation of new regulations may have posed challenges for the platform.
In an effort to diversify its accessibility, OpenAI launched the ChatGPT app on the iOS system in May, potentially diverting some traffic away from its website. Some experts also attribute the recent decline in usage to the summer break, as fewer students seek assistance with their homework during this period. However, the slowdown in growth may inadvertently benefit OpenAI by helping to control the substantial costs associated with operating ChatGPT, which relies on intensive computing power to handle user queries.
While ChatGPT is currently available for free, OpenAI also offers a premium subscription model, granting users access to its more advanced model, GPT-4, for a monthly fee of $20. According to estimates from YipitData, approximately 1.5 million individuals have already subscribed to this premium service. OpenAI anticipates generating approximately $200 million in revenue this year. Alongside ChatGPT, OpenAI earns income by selling API access to its AI models directly to developers and enterprises, as well as through a partnership with Microsoft, which has invested more than $10 billion in the company.
Despite the recent dip in traffic, it is crucial to delve into the topic further and maintain focus on the subject at hand.