Title: ChatGPT’s Traffic Declines as Interest in Artificial Intelligence Stabilizes
OpenAI’s chatbot, ChatGPT, has experienced a notable decrease in traffic for the first time, indicating a stabilization in the global interest for artificial intelligence (AI). According to preliminary data, desktop and mobile web traffic to ChatGPT’s website decreased by 9.7% from May to June. Despite this decline, ChatGPT still receives more visitors worldwide compared to Microsoft’s Bing search engine and Character.AI, a leading AI chatbot site.
Interestingly, Character.AI witnessed an even more substantial decline in visitor numbers, with a 32% plunge in global visits from the previous month. However, Character.AI’s traffic remains significantly higher than in June 2022. These reductions in traffic suggest that AI chatbots continue to command significant attention, albeit with a more stable growth trajectory.
June marked a turning point for ChatGPT, as both traffic and user engagement started to decline after months of surging growth. This downward trend was not limited to global visitors but was also evident in the United States. User engagement, measured by time spent on the site, decreased by 8.5% during this period.
Despite these declines, it is important to consider OpenAI’s management perspective. ChatGPT was primarily launched as a technology demonstration and a means to generate sales leads for OpenAI. The operational cost of providing the predominantly free service is substantial, estimated at around $700,000 per day. This cost primarily stems from the expensive servers required to support the platform.
OpenAI generates revenue from ChatGPT through subscriptions sold to users seeking access to the newest versions, such as GPT-4. Free users, on the other hand, receive older versions. However, the sustainability of this model is subject to ongoing debate, particularly since Bing offers GPT-4 as a free component.
In addition to subscriptions, OpenAI offers more customizable software versions to other technology companies and corporate enterprises through API access. Despite the general drop in traffic, visits to the platform.openai.com, the developer’s website, increased by 3.1% from May to June.
The concurrent decrease in interest in ChatGPT and its primary competitor, Character.AI, indicates a potential stabilization in the novelty of AI chatbots. This suggests that AI chatbots must now prove their inherent value rather than simply riding the wave of initial novelty.
While the decline in ChatGPT’s traffic may raise concerns, it reflects a shifting landscape and the need for continued innovation in the AI chatbot domain. As the technology progresses, it will become increasingly important for chatbots to demonstrate their practical applications and deliver tangible benefits. This evolution marks an exciting phase in the development of AI chatbots, with a focus on delivering value and meeting the real-life needs of users.
