OpenAI Misses User Growth and Sales Targets, Raising Concerns Over AI Infrastructure Spending

Gate News message, April 28 — According to The Wall Street Journal, OpenAI has failed to meet its internal targets for new user acquisition and sales growth, prompting concerns within the company about its ability to sustain massive spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure.

The report, citing sources familiar with the matter, states that ChatGPT missed its internal goal of reaching 1 billion weekly active users by the end of 2025, a milestone the company has yet to announce publicly. This has unsettled some investors. Additionally, the company is facing challenges with subscription user churn rates. The setback comes as competitor Anthropic has made progress in programming and enterprise markets.

CFO Sarah Friar has expressed concern that without faster sales growth, OpenAI may struggle to afford its future computational needs. In recent months, Friar has also expressed reservations about the company's plan to go public by year-end, warning executives and board members that OpenAI needs to improve internal controls and is not yet prepared to meet the strict disclosure standards required of public companies.