ChatGPT’s User Growth Surges Despite DeepSeek Competition

ChatGPT’s popularity continues to soar, with OpenAI reporting 400 million weekly active users as of February—a 33% jump from December’s 300 million. OpenAI’s Chief Operating Officer, Brad Lightcap, attributes the growth to the wider adoption of ChatGPT as users discover its practical applications.

“People hear about it through word of mouth and see its value,” Lightcap told CNBC, emphasizing that as more users experiment with AI, they find meaningful ways to integrate it into their daily routines.

Meanwhile, DeepSeek R1 has gained attention as a leading AI model with enhanced reasoning capabilities. However, experts suggest that ChatGPT still outperforms DeepSeek in accuracy, speed, and overall performance. Unmesh Kulkarni, Head of Gen AI at Tredence, noted that while DeepSeek is innovative, it doesn’t surpass GPT or Google’s Gemini models.

Legal expert Robert W. Taylor echoes these concerns, stating that tests comparing DeepSeek and ChatGPT indicate ChatGPT’s superior reliability. Additionally, security concerns around DeepSeek’s data policies may be discouraging U.S. users.

“If you sign up with DeepSeek, your data is sent to China for processing and storage,” Taylor explained, highlighting privacy risks.

Despite the buzz around DeepSeek R1, ChatGPT remains the dominant AI tool, with stronger adoption and trust among users. As AI models evolve, security, accuracy, and real-world applications will continue to drive competition in the industry.