ChatGPT Surges on the Back of Studio Ghibli Hype, Paid Users Exceed 20 Million

AIbase基地

Published inAI News · 4 min read · Apr 2, 2025

Recently, ChatGPT has experienced unprecedented user growth thanks to its new image generation capabilities, becoming a hot topic on the internet. According to SensorTower data, the app's active users, in-app subscription revenue, and downloads all hit record highs last week, signifying its strong market performance.

Since the launch of GPT-4, ChatGPT has attracted a large number of users to its image generation tools, transforming everyday photos and memorable moments into artwork in the style of Japan's Studio Ghibli. This creative feature has attracted participation from various organizations, including the White House, further driving the app's popularity. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated that the growth rate is astonishing, recalling that two years ago, ChatGPT gained 1 million users in just five days, while now it gains 1 million new users in an hour.

After a period of strained computing power, OpenAI announced that the latest image generation capabilities will be officially opened to all free users. Although the company is working hard to manage the situation, it still needs to address potential future computing power shortages, which may lead to slower service speeds or delayed updates. Furthermore, Altman has called on individuals who can provide "100,000 GPU-level" graphics cards to contact the company to alleviate the strain on computing resources.

Meanwhile, OpenAI has also made significant progress in fundraising. The company recently completed a $40 billion funding round, bringing its valuation to $300 billion, making it the second most valuable privately held tech company globally after SpaceX. With the influx of capital, OpenAI plans to focus on expanding its computing infrastructure to further enhance its competitiveness.

In terms of paid users, ChatGPT's user base has rapidly grown from 15.5 million at the beginning of this year to 20 million. In just three months, paid user subscription revenue jumped from $333 million to $415 million. Annualized, this projects to an increase in annual revenue from $4 billion to $5 billion. OpenAI's revenue target for this year is $12.7 billion, a threefold increase from last year.

Through continuous innovation and expansion, ChatGPT is steadily improving its market position, and its future growth prospects are promising.

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