OpenAI hit its billion-user goal, just seven months late

ChatGPT is closing in on 1 billion weekly active users — a goal OpenAI missed by seven months but still a historic milestone reached in under four years. Growth surged from 400 million weekly users in early 2025 to nearly 1 billion by mid-2026, despite rising competition from Google Gemini and cheaper Chinese AI models. The milestone matters beyond bragging rights, as it supports OpenAI's massive valuation ahead of a potential IPO.