ChatGPT, the widely recognized AI chatbot developed by OpenAI, has experienced a third consecutive monthly decline in website traffic, according to data from analytics firm Similarweb. However, there are signs that this decline may be stabilizing, offering some optimism for the platform’s future usage.
In August, global website traffic to the ChatGPT website, encompassing both desktop and mobile visits, saw a 3.2% decrease, totaling 1.43 billion visits. This followed a roughly 10% reduction in traffic for each of the two preceding months. Additionally, the average duration of time visitors spent on the website has been steadily decreasing since March, dropping from an average of 8.7 minutes per visit to 7 minutes per visit by August.
Despite these declines, there was a slight increase in the number of unique visitors to ChatGPT’s website globally, with the count rising from 180 million users to 180.5 million users in August.
One potential factor contributing to this stabilization is the return of schools for the new academic year in September. Some educational institutions have begun to adopt ChatGPT as a valuable tool for various purposes, including homework assistance and educational support. This is reflected in the slight rise in ChatGPT traffic in the United States during August, coinciding with the resumption of American schools.
David F. Carr of Similarweb, who regularly tracks ChatGPT and its competitors, noted, “Students seeking homework help appears to be part of the story: the percentage of younger users of the website dropped over the summer and is now starting to bounce back.”
ChatGPT’s journey has been marked by significant milestones, including reaching 100 million monthly active users in January, just two months after its launch. The platform’s generative AI technology has found applications in various fields, from content editing to coding, making it a popular choice for daily tasks.
In May, OpenAI expanded the reach of ChatGPT by launching the ChatGPT app on the iOS platform. While the website offers free access to ChatGPT, a premium subscription option priced at $20 per month is also available. This diversification of access options may have impacted website traffic.
OpenAI generates revenue through ChatGPT’s subscription model, as well as by selling access to its AI models to developers and businesses. The organization has formed strategic partnerships, including a significant investment from Microsoft totaling over $10 billion, further contributing to its financial growth.
As ChatGPT continues to evolve and adapt to user needs, it remains an influential player in the world of AI-driven conversational agents, with the potential to regain and expand its user base as new use cases and features are introduced.
