LibraryNowOriginsOddsMechanicsMCP

Kinds

Campaign380Product91Food & drink27App & software56Film24Series24Music60Game115Book22Creator moment54Meme & format109Trend & aesthetic38Activity58Moment89
PricingPrivacyTermsRefundsPress
Library/App & software/ChatGPT
Grade B29 sourcesHIS-00085

ChatGPT

App & software · 2022 · Viral

Made by OpenAI in-house · Source

73Editable slideCertificate

UBS estimated 100 million monthly ChatGPT users within two months of launch.

Current official ChatGPT iOS screenshot from OpenAI’s Apple App Store listing.
OpenAI
ChatGPT’s First Birthday is November 30: A Year in Review | Similarweb
Similarweb
Deep Learning - South Park Wiki
South Park Studios
Speak Collaborates with OpenAI on New ChatGPT Plugins
Speak
“FleeceGPT” mobile apps target AI-curious to rake in cash
Sophos
ChatGPT on the App Store
Apple App Store / OpenAI
Consumers Know More About AI Than Business Leaders Think
Boston Consulting Group
Most Americans haven’t used ChatGPT; few think it will have a major impact on their job
Pew Research Center
ChatGPT isn't putting me out of a job yet, but it's very good fun | TechCrunch
TechCrunch
ChatGPT's mobile app hit record $4.58M in revenue last month, but growth is slowing | TechCrunch
TechCrunch
OpenAI's ChatGPT now has 100 million weekly active users | TechCrunch
TechCrunch

Spread Score

How it works
Reach89Contagion60Breadth100Velocity8Longevity8873

Numbers

Weekly active ChatGPT users reported at DevDay
100M
As of Nov 6, 2023 · Open web · Self-reported · TechCrunch
Peak date
Week of Apr 4, 2023
Nov 30 ’22 to Week of Apr 4, 2023
Platforms
8
Started on Open web
Origin
Seeded
Technology

Mechanics

  • Shareable outputPrimary
  • Platform jump
  • Controversy
  • Dupe economy
  • Political adoption

How it spread

Trace the origin

OpenAI released ChatGPT free, and screenshots spread on Twitter before TikTok tutorials and a South Park parody. UBS estimated 100 million monthly users by January; Italy blocked the service in March, and OpenAI reported 100 million weekly users in November.

Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.

Wikipedia views · Google searchesOct ’22DecFeb ’23MarAprMayJulSepNovMay ’24OctPeakOpen webPressXTikTokYouTubeGroup chatsTVApp stores
Open webPressXTikTokYouTubeGroup chatsTVApp stores

14 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

Timeline (17)

  1. November 2022

    OpenAI seed · Nov 30 ’22

    OpenAI released ChatGPT free and ran a feedback contest with a chance to win $500 in API credits.[1][2][3]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. Hacker News users platform jump · Nov 30 ’22

    Hacker News users discussed ChatGPT in a launch-day thread posted by amrrs.[4]

  3. December 2022

    The Verge press · Dec 1 ’22

    The Verge covered ChatGPT’s code explanations, sitcom scripts and errors.[5]

Changelogupdated Oct 13 ’26
  1. 2026-10-13Archived 3 sources
  2. 2026-10-12Added: 16 events, 25 sources · Score 75
Origin
Seeded
Sector
Technology
Region
US
Weekly active ChatGPT users reported at DevDay
100M
As of Nov 6, 2023 · Open web · Self-reported · TechCrunch
Evidence
Grade B

Spread the same way

ChatGPT Ghibli portraits

X · 2025

58
this was a real labor of love from @gabeeegoooh. congrats gabe; excellent work! here is what we generated during the livestream:

EPIK AI Yearbook

App stores · 2023

53
How I wish this was my college yearbook creative photos 😅 #photodumps #yearbookAIphotos #AI #epikapp #yearbooktrend #fyp #viral

Peaked at #1

Streamberry / You Are Awful

X · 2023

48
Madison Is Awful, now streaming in London. #YouAreAwful

1.6M views

Lensa Magic Avatars

App stores · 2022

44
We've launched something really cool! 🚀 Now you can generate mind-blowing personal avatars with Stable diffusion + Dream booth in a few taps in our app Lensa. It also costs just $2.99 per pack!😃…

$29.3M revenue

New cases, every week

How the next thing spread, the week it does.

See every timeline

Free account, every case's full spread.

Join free
Log inJoin free
· Source
Wikipedia views · Google searchesOct ’22DecFeb ’23MarAprMayJulSepNovMay ’24OctPeakOpen webPressXTikTokYouTubeGroup chatsTVApp stores
Open webPressXTikTokYouTubeGroup chatsTVApp stores

14 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

  1. November 2022

    OpenAI seed · Nov 30 ’22

    OpenAI released ChatGPT free and ran a feedback contest with a chance to win $500 in API credits.[1][2][3]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. Hacker News users platform jump · Nov 30 ’22

    Hacker News users discussed ChatGPT in a launch-day thread posted by amrrs.[4]

  3. December 2022

    The Verge press · Dec 1 ’22

    The Verge covered ChatGPT’s code explanations, sitcom scripts and errors.[5]

  1. platform jump · Dec 2 ’22

  2. backlash · Dec 5 ’22

Join free to see the other 14 events and the full chart. Free, on every case.

Join free

Why it worked

Do this

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3

Pro opens the playbook, all 20 sourced numbers and 29 sources. Start with a free account.

Join freeGo Pro