10% of the Global Population Now Engaged with OpenAI’s AI Systems, Says CEO Sam Altman

800 Million Users Now Engaged With OpenAI Platforms

OpenAI’s reach has soared to new heights, with Chief Executive Sam Altman revealing the company now serves around 800 million people worldwide.

Speaking at the TED 2025 event, Altman stated,

“Something like 10% of the world uses our systems, now a lot,”

The startup, backed by Microsoft, is seeing explosive growth in its user numbers.

User Base Doubled In Just Weeks

TED host Chris Anderson highlighted the astonishing speed of growth, noting Altman’s earlier comments that user numbers had doubled in just a few weeks.

OpenAI’s recent viral features have been key to this momentum.

A standout example includes the ability to generate images and videos mimicking various artistic styles, including the beloved visual style of Studio Ghibli, a well-loved Japanese animation studio.

A Million Users In One Hour

Altman previously shared that the company added one million users in just five days, following the release of the Ghibli-inspired photo generation feature.

On 1 April, he went further, sharing on X that one million users signed up in just one hour as the trend gained global attention.

Revenue Model For Artists Under Consideration

When questioned about artist compensation, Altman acknowledged the issue of using distinct artistic styles in AI-generated content.

He said,

“I think it would be cool to figure out a new model where if you say, ‘I want to do it in the name of this artist,’ and they opt in, there’s a revenue model there.”

He also confirmed that OpenAI has guardrails in place to prevent the unauthorised use of styles belonging to specific artists or creators.

AI Agents On The Horizon

During his TED talk, Altman touched on OpenAI’s ongoing research into AI agents—models designed to act autonomously on behalf of users.

While he did not elaborate in detail, the concept aligns with OpenAI’s broader mission to build more interactive, capable systems.

Now Valued At $300 Billion

The company has also reached a new milestone in valuation.

Since its founding in 2015, OpenAI has evolved from a non-profit research lab into a major player in the tech industry, attracting significant investment and partnerships, including multi-billion-dollar backing from Microsoft.

Its valuation has nearly doubled since October 2024, reaching $300 billion and placing it as the second most valuable private company globally, just behind ByteDance, the parent of TIktok.

AI Offers Support In Managing Tariffs, But Not A Cure-All

Elsewhere in the AI space, businesses are exploring how generative AI could help mitigate the impact of new tariffs.

According to Tarun Chandrasekhar, president and CPO at Syndigo,

“AI can also facilitate material selection by assessing availability, compliance and cost implications, which helps brands find substitute materials when needed without compromising on quality or compliance with regulatory standards.”

However, experts caution against overreliance.

Pierre Laprée, chief product officer at SpendHQ, warned,

“Tariffs are complex, and so is procurement… Without clean, structured, specific data, AI won’t reduce risk. It will amplify it.”

Productivity Up, But Concerns Remain

According to research by PYMNTS Intelligence, 82% of workers who use generative AI at least weekly report increased productivity.

However, nearly half of these users still worry that AI might eventually replace them in the workplace, highlighting the dual nature of AI’s growing influence.