OpenAI’s ChatGPT Hits 400 Million Weekly Users, Introduces New Features and Faces Legal Challenges

ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, has rapidly grown into a major AI tool since its launch in November 2022. Initially designed to generate essays and code, it now boasts 400 million weekly active users as of February 2025. The past few years have seen significant advancements and several key events, including partnerships and product updates, alongside internal challenges and legal battles. In 2024, OpenAI secured a partnership with Apple to integrate its generative AI into Apple Intelligence, and launched GPT-4o, a model with voice capabilities, along with its text-to-video model, Sora. However, the company also faced significant internal turmoil with the departure of co-founder Ilya Sutskever and CTO Mira Murati. Additionally, lawsuits from Alden Global Capital-owned newspapers alleging copyright infringement and an injunction from Elon Musk to halt OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit entity added to its challenges. In 2025, OpenAI continued to innovate but grappled with perception issues and regulatory scrutiny. The company rolled out several new features and models to enhance user experiences. In May, a new deep research feature was introduced to analyze code repositories on GitHub, and a data residency program was launched in Asia to meet local data sovereignty requirements. Despite these advances, OpenAI faced backlash over the overly sycophantic behavior of GPT-4o, leading to an update rollback, and a bug that allowed minors to generate inappropriate content. April brought more updates and challenges. OpenAI introduced Flex processing for lower-cost AI tasks and enhanced its image and voice capabilities. The company also faced criticism for the perceived regression in alignment and reliability of GPT-4.1, which was released mid-month. Moreover, discrepancies in benchmark results for o3 raised questions about OpenAI’s testing transparency. OpenAI responded by implementing new safeguards against biological and chemical threats in its models and adjusting content policies to allow more flexible image generation. The company also announced plans to release an "open" AI model without API restrictions, aimed at competing with rivals like Google and DeepSeek. OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, indicated that the company might adjust its safety standards if rivals release high-risk models. To manage increased demand, OpenAI implemented capacity control measures, acknowledging that this might cause delays in product releases. Leadership changes within OpenAI saw COO Brad Lightcap taking charge of global expansion and partnerships, while Sam Altman focused on research and products. OpenAI also introduced Operator, an AI agent for autonomous task performance, and made several enhancements to ChatGPT’s functionality, including the ability to directly edit code and schedule reminders. The platform’s mobile app user demographics showed a significant gender disparity, with 85% of users being male. OpenAI's ambitious projects, such as the Stargate data center expansion, underscore its commitment to maintaining its competitive edge. The company is also engaging with governments to develop local AI infrastructure, particularly in India, where discussions with Reliance Industries aim to distribute ChatGPT to businesses. However, OpenAI continues to face legal and ethical issues, including a privacy complaint in Europe over defamatory hallucinations and ongoing concerns about data handling and plagiarism. Despite these challenges, OpenAI’s growth trajectory remains robust. The company expects its revenue to triple to $12.7 billion in 2025, driven by paid subscriptions and enterprise solutions. The popularity of ChatGPT, especially among students and developers, highlights its wide-ranging applications from educational support to complex coding tasks. OpenAI’s strategic moves, such as offering ChatGPT Plus for free to college students and integrating with social media platforms, aim to broaden its user base and reinforce its position in the AI market. Industry insiders commend OpenAI for its continuous innovation and ambitious goals but note that the company must navigate a complex landscape of regulation, ethics, and competition. OpenAI's focus on transparency and user protection, while critical, has sometimes led to setbacks. Nevertheless, the company remains a leader in AI development, committed to pushing the boundaries of what is possible with language models and AI agents. OpenAI's initiatives to collaborate with global partners and adapt to diverse regulatory environments will likely be crucial in maintaining its momentum and addressing the growing concerns surrounding AI technology.