Title: Is Interest in AI Chatbots Starting to Decline? OpenAI’s ChatGPT Site Witnesses Drop in Traffic
OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the popular AI-powered chatbot, has experienced a noticeable decline in user traffic, suggesting that the initial hype surrounding AI chatbots might be subsiding. According to Similarweb, a traffic analytics provider, worldwide user traffic to ChatGPT’s website dropped by 9.7% from May to June. In the United States, the decline was slightly more significant at 10.3%.
The ChatGPT website also saw a 5.7% decrease in unique visitors during the same period. Additionally, the amount of time spent on the site decreased by 8.5% from April to May, indicating a potential decline in user engagement.
Similar trends were observed for other chatbot-related services. Microsoft’s Bing search engine, which integrates OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology, experienced a decline in traffic. Another service provider, Character.AI, also witnessed a decrease in user traffic. However, Google’s Bard AI maintained a consistent level of traffic from month to month.
These findings raise questions about whether the public’s interest in AI chatbots is waning. SimilarWeb suggests that the drop in interest for ChatGPT, as well as one of its main competitors, indicates that the novelty factor of AI chat has faded away. Chatbots must now demonstrate their value and prove that they can go beyond simply being a novelty.
These developments come as good news for Google, who is determined to protect its traditional search engine model from being overshadowed by ChatGPT. While ChatGPT’s website traffic already surpasses that of Microsoft’s Bing.com, Google maintains a substantial lead in the search engine market.
It should be noted that OpenAI recently released an iOS version of ChatGPT, which could explain the decrease in traffic reported by SimilarWeb. It is possible that users are now accessing ChatGPT through the app rather than the website, contributing to the dip in numbers reported by SimilarWeb.
In conclusion, the recent decline in traffic to OpenAI’s ChatGPT and other related chatbot services suggests a potential decrease in public interest. Chatbots will need to demonstrate their value and move beyond being mere novelties to regain and retain user engagement. As the competition between AI chatbots and traditional search engines continues, it remains to be seen how this evolving landscape will shape the future of online interactions.
