OpenAI continues its dominance in the AI space, surpassing 400 million weekly active users in February—a 33% jump in just three months. Despite rising competition from open-source models like DeepSeek, OpenAI’s growth remains strong, fueled by organic adoption and enterprise expansion.

Unprecedented Growth Amid Competition

Brad Lightcap, OpenAI’s COO, shared these new user figures with CNBC, marking their first public disclosure. He attributed the surge to ChatGPT’s growing ubiquity.

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“People hear about it through word of mouth. They see their friends using it. Once they find its utility, the value becomes clear,” Lightcap said.

Enterprise adoption is also accelerating. OpenAI now has 2 million paying enterprise users—doubling since September. Many employees first use ChatGPT personally before introducing it to their companies.

“We benefit from organic consumer adoption,” Lightcap noted. “It’s a different growth curve, but highly effective.”

Developer engagement is surging as well, with traffic doubling in six months and GPT-4o usage quintupling. Major clients include Uber, Morgan Stanley, Moderna, and T-Mobile, integrating OpenAI’s technology into operations.

AI As The New Cloud

Lightcap compared OpenAI’s rise to the evolution of cloud computing, predicting AI will become a business essential.

“There’s a buying cycle in enterprise AI, just like cloud services,” he said. “Eventually, businesses won’t be able to operate without these models.”

The DeepSeek Challenge

OpenAI’s expansion coincides with the rise of DeepSeek, a Chinese AI firm that rattled markets in January. Fears over its impact on U.S. AI dominance triggered a sharp sell-off, with Nvidia losing 17% in one day—erasing nearly $600 billion in value.

Adding to the rivalry, OpenAI accused DeepSeek of improper model distillation. Lightcap, however, downplayed concerns.

“DeepSeek’s emergence underscores AI’s mainstream relevance,” he said. “Two years ago, this level of interest would have been unthinkable.”

Legal Battles And Billion-Dollar Deals

Beyond competition, OpenAI faces legal and financial turbulence. Elon Musk sued the company over its transition to a for-profit model. Meanwhile, Microsoft has invested billions, and SoftBank is finalizing a $40 billion investment, potentially valuing OpenAI at nearly $300 billion.

Musk and investors attempted a $97.4 billion buyout, but OpenAI’s board dismissed it outright. Chairman Bret Taylor reaffirmed, “The company is not for sale.”

Lightcap was equally blunt: “The numbers tell the story. (Musk) is a competitor. He’s just competing in an unorthodox way.”

The Bottom Line

Despite legal battles, competition, and market volatility, OpenAI’s momentum is undeniable. With surging adoption and deepening enterprise ties, it remains at the forefront of the AI revolution.