The number of weekly users of OpenAI's ChatGPT has exceeded 2 million for the first time, following the suspension of the Chinese DeepSeek AI app due to concerns over its data management practices. Data released showed ChatGPT’s mobile application surged to 2,092,797 users last week from 2,025,546 the previous week, marking significant growth as users shifted attention away from DeepSeek.
According to the data compiled by industry tracker IGAWorks, ChatGPT had consistently maintained around 1.5 million users weekly at the start of 2025. The introduction of DeepSeek increased the competitive climate, eleviating its users to 1,804,499 by the last week of January. This volatile dynamic dramatically shifted after the Korean government began implementing bans on DeepSeek due to security issues.
On February 17, the Personal Information Protection Commission initiated a temporary suspension on new downloads of DeepSeek, citing significant concerns about how it collected and managed user data. This regulatory action sparked immediate changes, boosting ChatGPT’s user count to 829,459 on February 17 alone, up from 760,766 the day before. The surge continued with the numbers rising to 855,979 on February 18.
“The number of weekly users of OpenAI's ChatGPT exceeded 2 million for the first time this month,” reported Yonhap on February 23, highlighting the dramatic shift within less than a week. This surge reflects users' confidence following governmental interventions and their search for reliable AI tools amid rising security concerns.
Notably, DeepSeek, which specializes in developing large language models, is reported to offer capabilities competitive with existing leaders at potentially lower developmental costs. This presents not only direct market competition with ChatGPT but also engages wider global debates on AI innovation.
Speaking at the recent 2025 Global Developer Conference, held from February 21 to 23 in Shanghai's Xuhui district, industry experts discussed the broader implications of DeepSeek's technology. Andrew Aitken, part of the technical oversight committee for the Linux Foundation FINOS Foundation, remarked, “All AI companies can learn from what DeepSeek is doing,” emphasizing the advancements being made by this Chinese company. Such insights underline the competitive pressures within the AI sector and the evident shift toward embracing more versatile technologies.
This gathering brought together developers from around the world, showcasing landmark achievements and strategic discussions forming the backbone of the present and future of AI technologies.
The recent developments indicate not only growing user numbers for ChatGPT but also signify the consequential roles regulation and security concerns play within the rapidly growing AI industry. The direct actions taken against DeepSeek may bring about long-lasting changes, impacting how AI models are developed, adopted, and viewed globally.
With users increasingly gravitating toward platforms with verifiable security practices, this scenario underlines the priority of safeguarding user data and instilling public confidence within the tech community. Just as we saw with the rise of the ChatGPT community, the market continues to evolve swiftly, reflecting the pressing needs and demands of its users.
The AI environment remains dynamic, marked not just by competition but also by the important discussions surrounding ethics, security, and technological advancements shaping our digital landscapes.