ChatGPT, OpenAI's groundbreaking AI chatbot, has garnered widespread attention and acclaim since its launch. However, recent data from analytics firm Similarweb reveals a notable decline in the traffic to ChatGPT's website over the past three months.
During August, ChatGPT's website experienced a 3.2% decrease in global traffic, amounting to 1.43 billion visits. This decline marked the third consecutive month of reduced website traffic. The previous two months also witnessed approximately 10% reductions in traffic.
The average duration of time visitors spent on ChatGPT's website has steadily decreased since March. In August, this metric dropped to an average of 7 minutes per visit, down from 8.7 minutes per visit earlier in the year.
Despite the overall decline in traffic, there was a minor increase in the number of unique visitors to ChatGPT's website globally in August. The count rose from 180 million users to 180.5 million users.
The forthcoming resumption of schools for the new academic year in September is expected to positively impact ChatGPT's website traffic and usage. Some educational institutions have already begun adopting ChatGPT as a valuable tool, particularly for assisting students with homework and assignments.
Data analyst David F. Carr of Similarweb notes that the decline in ChatGPT traffic during the summer months, especially among younger users, may be related to seasonal patterns. With the start of the academic year, student engagement with the platform is anticipated to rebound.
ChatGPT initially gained popularity due to its transformative capabilities in generative AI, enabling a wide range of applications, from content editing to coding. It reached 100 million monthly active users in January, a mere two months after its launch.
While ChatGPT is available for free, OpenAI offers a premium subscription option priced at $20 per month. The company generates income through subscriptions, access to its AI models for developers and businesses, and strategic partnerships. Notably, Microsoft's substantial investment of over $10 billion in OpenAI has contributed significantly to its financial growth.
The recent decline in ChatGPT's website traffic, although notable, is accompanied by signs of stabilization. As educational institutions increasingly adopt ChatGPT, especially for supporting students in their academic endeavors, it is poised to regain traction and potentially surpass previous usage levels. OpenAI's multifaceted revenue streams and partnerships continue to drive its growth and influence in the AI landscape.
