Answer · confidence: partial
When did a free chatbot open to everyone, and how fast did it spread?
Research question: When did the first free public AI chatbot open to anyone with an internet connection, and how quickly did it spread?
The records show that OpenAI launched ChatGPT on November 30, 2022 4, and it was accessible to anyone who created a free account 11. The facts do not establish that it was the very first public chatbot of any kind, only that Google's LaMDA was not released to the public, so ChatGPT was the first widely available chatbot of its kind from these companies 3. It spread very quickly, reaching 1 million users within five days of release 5 and 100 million monthly users by January 2023, a milestone that took TikTok nine months and Instagram 2.5 years 7. By July 2025 it had about 700 million users, around 10% of the global adult population 12. The newest fact is from July 2025, about 15 months before October 2026, so these user figures are not current.
Checked 2026-10-21. Only documented and supported facts are used.
Dig deeper on this questionSources
[1] supported
OpenAI launched ChatGPT, a chatbot based on the GPT-3 family of large language models, in November 2022.
"In November 2022, OpenAI launched ChatGPT , a chatbot based on the GPT-3 family of large language models (LLMs)."Google Gemini
[2] supported
ChatGPT gained worldwide attention and became a viral Internet sensation shortly after its launch.
"ChatGPT gained worldwide attention, becoming a viral Internet sensation ."Google Gemini
[3] supported
Google had unveiled its LaMDA prototype LLM earlier, but it was not released to the public, so ChatGPT was the first widely available chatbot of this kind from these companies.
"Google had unveiled LaMDA , a prototype LLM, earlier in 2021, [ 20 ] [ 21 ] but it was not released to the public."Google Gemini
[4] supported
ChatGPT was released to the public on November 30, 2022.
"On November 30, 2022, OpenAI releases the generative artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT to the public."ChatGPT, the generative AI chatbot, is released
[5] supported
ChatGPT attracted 1 million users within five days of its release.
"The chatbot attracted 1 million users within five days, according to its co-founder and CEO Sam Altman, and quickly grew into a viral phenomenon."ChatGPT, the generative AI chatbot, is released
[6] supported
ChatGPT set the record for the fastest-growing consumer app in history.
"Its breakneck user growth set the record for the fastest-growing consumer app in history, according to investment bank UBS."ChatGPT, the generative AI chatbot, is released
[7] supported
ChatGPT reached 100 million monthly users in January 2023, a milestone that took TikTok nine months and Instagram 2.5 years to achieve.
"Analysts there estimated ChatGPT had hit 100 million monthly users in January 2023; what OpenAI had achieved within roughly two months took TikTok nine months and Instagram about 2.5 years."ChatGPT, the generative AI chatbot, is released
[8] supported
By March 2023, 14 percent of U.S. adults had tried ChatGPT.
"By March 2023, according to a Pew Research Center poll, 14 percent of U.S. adults had tried ChatGPT."ChatGPT, the generative AI chatbot, is released
[9] supported
ChatGPT was launched by OpenAI on November 30, 2022, enabling the public to converse with a machine on a broad range of topics.
"ChatGPT is a generative language model tool launched by OpenAI on November 30, 2022, enabling the public to converse with a machine on a broad range of topics."The Role of ChatGPT, Generative Language Models, and Artificial Intelligence in Medical Education: A Conversation With ChatGPT and a Call for Papers (2023)
[10] supported
ChatGPT launched in November 2022.
"ChatGPT launched in November 2022."How People Use ChatGPT (2025)
[11] supported
ChatGPT, an OpenAI chatbot, launched in 2022 and was accessible to all by creating a free account.
"ChatGPT, Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer-an OpenAI’s chatbot launched in 2022, is accessible to all by creating a free account of OpenAI4,5."Unraveling the dynamics of ChatGPT adoption and utilization through Structural Equation Modeling (2024)
[12] supported
By July 2025, ChatGPT had about 700 million users, representing around 10% of the global adult population.
"by 700 million users, representing around 10% of the global adult population."How People Use ChatGPT (2025)
[13] supported
ChatGPT became popular across many fields in a very short time after its release.
"In a very short time, ChatGPT has become popular among all fields as its professional artificial intelligence text generator created by OpenAI is quite versatile2,4."Unraveling the dynamics of ChatGPT adoption and utilization through Structural Equation Modeling (2024)