ChatGPT, the popular chatbot powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4 technology, has seen a drop in user traffic and engagement for the first time since its launch. The chatbot, which can generate realistic and engaging conversations on various topics, has been losing momentum in the past month.
According to internet analytics firm Similarweb, global traffic to ChatGPT’s website decreased by 9.7% in June 2023. This is the first time that the chatbot has experienced a decline in user visits since it became available to the public in November 2022. Similarly, app tracker Sensor Tower reported a decline in downloads of ChatGPT’s iOS app after reaching its peak earlier in June.
The decline in ChatGPT’s popularity seems to be part of a wider industry trend. Similarweb’s data also shows that other AI chatbots, such as Microsoft Bing, Google Bard, and Character.AI, have witnessed fewer visits to their desktop and mobile websites in recent months. For instance, Microsoft Bing, which uses GPT-4 to enhance its search results and features, saw a surge in traffic between February and March 2023, when it was released in public preview. However, since then, the traffic has steadily declined, returning to almost the pre-GPT-4 levels after Microsoft revamped Bing.
Additionally, Similarweb reports a decrease in ChatGPT engagement, with user minutes down by 8.5% as of May 2023. This means that users are spending less time chatting with the chatbot than before.
There could be various factors behind the decline in ChatGPT’s usage. One possible factor, as suggested by The Washington Post, could be the end of the school year. With college students on summer break, there might be fewer young adults using ChatGPT for academic purposes such as writing papers.
Another possible reason could be certain companies imposing restrictions on the use of AI chatbots by their employees due to concerns about data breaches. For example, Samsung recently banned its employees from using ChatGPT and other similar chatbots for work-related communications.
OpenAI, the research lab behind ChatGPT, has not commented on the decline in user traffic and engagement. However, it is unlikely that the lab is worried about the situation. In fact, OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, has previously stated that operating the public version of ChatGPT comes at a significant cost for the organization. He also said that the main purpose of ChatGPT is to showcase the capabilities of GPT-4 and to collect feedback from users. Therefore, OpenAI may not mind if fewer people use the chatbot as long as they learn from it and improve their technology.