ChatGPT claims the crown as the fastest growing app in history
Today the rate of change is fast, especially since digital connectivity now allows billions of people to download or experience something as soon as it's launched.
Key takeaways
- According to reporting from Reuters, OpenAI's ChatGPT is now the fastest-growing app in human history, reaching an estimated 100 million active monthly users in just the two months since its November release.
- To say this thing has taken off like wildfire hardly cuts it, and VCs have paid attention.
- Few things stay viral for more than a few days, let alone months, and while new apps and technologies are created all the time, few actually have real holy-shit-this-could-change-the-world value.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2023) 'ChatGPT claims the crown as the fastest growing app in history', 311 Institute, 11 February. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/chatgpt-claims-the-crown-as-the-fastest-growing-app-in-history/ (Accessed: 25 October 2026).
According to reporting from Reuters, OpenAI's ChatGPT is now the fastest-growing app in human history, reaching an estimated 100 million active monthly users in just the two months since its November release.
"In 20 years following the internet space," UBS analysts reportedly wrote in a note to Reuters, citing a report from web traffic analytics firm SimilarWeb, "we cannot recall a faster ramp in a consumer internet app."
Per that report, an average of roughly 13 million unique visitors were using ChatGPT per day in January, a jaw-dropping figure, and double the average number of individual users that were using the tech each day in December.
To say this thing has taken off like wildfire hardly cuts it, and VCs have paid attention. Of course, comparing ChatGPT, certainly the newest Silicon Valley darling, to established SV behemoths like Google, Apple, or Meta isn't totally fair, considering the role that social media in particular has played in ChatGPT's exponential success. Virality channels didn't always exist in the way that they do today.
Still, these figures are wildly impressive. Few things stay viral for more than a few days, let alone months, and while new apps and technologies are created all the time, few actually have real holy-shit-this-could-change-the-world value. Generative AI tools do, ChatGPT especially. At the very least, ChatGPT is almost certain to change the internet as we know it, a form of world-building, destroying, and changing in its own right.
Likely also contributing to the AI's success with users is the fact that it's completely free, a company decision that has not only encouraged curious netizens to give the chatbot a whirl but also granted OpenAI an absolute mountain of new data with which to train and improve the model. That said, the company just yesterday announced a subscription plan called ChatGPT Plus, a paid tier that for $20 per month offers users access at all times, when there are too many users, the program will turn excess users away, better speed, and "priority access" to feature updates.
And as ChatGPT was the first of its kind to make it to market with this big of a splash, its influence in the AI industry, as well as that of OpenAI's products across the board, has been cemented. The safety might not be there yet, but the money sure is.
What this means for your organisation
Adoption curves have compressed.
A hundred million users arrived in two months. Earlier consumer products took years to reach that scale. Planning cycles built on slower adoption will be too slow.
Virality channels did the work.
Analysts note social media spread it in ways earlier products could not use. Distribution now compounds faster than product development. Marketing leaders should plan for sudden, not gradual, growth.
Prepare for the next one.
Another tool could reach your staff and customers just as quickly. Policy and training must be ready in advance. Build a standing process for assessing new tools fast.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- How quickly could our organisation assess and approve a new tool?
- What would we do if a rival product reached our customers in weeks?
- Is our planning cycle faster than the market we operate in?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Today the rate of change is fast, especially since digital connectivity now allows billions of people to download or experience something as soon as it's launched.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- reporting from Reuters reuters.com
- SimilarWeb similarweb.com
- VCs have paid attention nytimes.com
- announced a subscription plan openai.com