ChatGPT Growth Reaccelerates Amid Fierce AI Competition
Sam Altman told employees that ChatGPT is “back to exceeding 10% monthly growth,” according to an internal Slack message reviewed by CNBC. The update lands at a critical moment. OpenAI is closing in on what could become a $100 billion funding round, and it needs momentum to justify the scale.
More than 800 million people now use ChatGPT weekly. That user base gives OpenAI unmatched consumer reach in generative AI. However, scale alone does not guarantee dominance. Competitors are moving fast.
Altman also confirmed that OpenAI plans to launch an updated version of ChatGPT this week. The release signals urgency. In December, the company declared a “code red” to improve performance and paused several projects to refocus resources. Now, leadership claims the bet is paying off.
Codex Growth Surges as Anthropic Intensifies Pressure
Anthropic has steadily gained traction with developers through Claude Code. As a result, OpenAI moved aggressively to defend its position in the coding tools market.
Altman told employees that Codex usage grew roughly 50% in one week. He described the growth as “insane.” OpenAI recently launched GPT-5.3-Codex and introduced a standalone app for Apple users. These updates target developers directly, where competition is sharpest.
Internal charts circulated to investors reportedly show Codex gaining ground against Claude Code. If accurate, the data suggests OpenAI has slowed Anthropic’s momentum, at least for now.
Ads in ChatGPT Spark Public Tension
While OpenAI emphasizes product strength, public messaging has grown combative. During the Super Bowl, Anthropic aired ads that mocked OpenAI’s reported plans to integrate advertising into ChatGPT.
Altman responded on social media, calling the portrayal “deceptive” and insisting OpenAI would never run ads in the way depicted.
Nevertheless, OpenAI is preparing to begin testing ads inside ChatGPT. The ads will appear at the bottom of responses and remain clearly labeled. According to people familiar with the plan, ads will not influence answers.
Over the long term, OpenAI expects advertising to account for less than half of total revenue. The broader digital ad market remains dominated by Google and Meta, with Amazon expanding its footprint. Entering this market adds complexity. It also introduces new revenue leverage.
The $100 Billion Funding Push
Behind the scenes, Altman and CFO Sarah Friar are pitching OpenAI’s growth story to investors. The company is working to finalize what could become a $100 billion fundraising round.
In March, OpenAI closed a $41 billion round that included $30 billion from SoftBank and $11 billion from other investors. The new round may close in stages.
The first phase could include capital from Microsoft, Nvidia, and Amazon. SoftBank has discussed contributing an additional $30 billion. Details remain fluid, and negotiations continue.
Executives are highlighting three themes in private meetings. Consumer dominance. Expanding enterprise revenue. Access to large-scale compute infrastructure. Those pillars shape the investment case.
What ChatGPT Growth Really Signals
The headline number matters. Ten percent monthly growth at this scale compounds rapidly. If sustained, it reinforces OpenAI’s lead in consumer AI adoption.
However, the competitive landscape is tightening. Google continues to invest aggressively in generative AI. Anthropic is targeting developers with precision. The next phase will not depend on hype. It will depend on product execution, enterprise depth, and sustainable revenue streams.
OpenAI’s growth narrative now intersects with advertising, developer tooling, and massive capital requirements. Momentum exists. Pressure exists. The next few weeks will test whether acceleration translates into a durable advantage.
Source: CBNC | Reuters
