OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has signaled renewed growth for ChatGPT, a critical move as the company navigates a competitive landscape and gears up for a potentially massive funding round. In a recent internal communication, Altman stated that ChatGPT is once again experiencing “over 10% monthly growth.” This resurgence comes at a pivotal time, with OpenAI facing increased pressure from rivals like Anthropic, whose AI models are rapidly advancing, particularly in coding capabilities.
The artificial intelligence giant has reportedly declared a “code red” internally to bolster ChatGPT’s performance, a strategic pivot that saw some projects temporarily deprioritized to focus on improving the flagship chatbot. This renewed focus appears to be yielding results, as Altman also highlighted significant traction for OpenAI’s coding product, Codex, which reportedly saw a 50% week-over-week increase in usage. This growth is particularly noteworthy given the direct competition from Anthropic’s Claude Code, which has gained considerable market share. OpenAI’s recent launch of a new Codex model, GPT-5.3-Codex, alongside a standalone application for Apple computers, underscores its commitment to this crucial segment.
This period of internal progress has been punctuated by public sparring with Anthropic. The latter’s Super Bowl advertisements playfully critiqued OpenAI’s decision to integrate ads within ChatGPT. Altman publicly refuted the portrayal, calling the commercials “deceptive” and asserting that OpenAI’s advertising strategy would not mirror Anthropic’s depiction. Nevertheless, OpenAI is slated to commence testing ads within ChatGPT this week, with assurances that they will be clearly labeled and positioned to avoid influencing the chatbot’s responses. While the long-term revenue contribution from ads is expected to be less than half of the total, this move signals OpenAI’s intent to diversify its revenue streams in a digital advertising market historically dominated by giants like Google and Meta, with Amazon also emerging as a significant player.
Beyond the competitive dynamics and advertising strategies, OpenAI is actively engaged in securing substantial new funding. Sources indicate that Altman and CFO Sarah Friar have been actively pitching OpenAI’s growth narrative to investors, aiming to finalize a funding round that could reach an astonishing $100 billion. The company is emphasizing its strong consumer engagement, expanding enterprise adoption, and robust access to computational resources. Visual aids, including internal data suggesting Codex is eroding Claude Code’s market share, are reportedly being shared in these discussions.
This prospective funding round, expected to intensify over the next two weeks, builds upon a previous $41 billion round in March, which included a significant $30 billion from SoftBank. Current discussions suggest a potential two-part structure for the new round. The initial phase could involve capital from major tech players like Microsoft, Nvidia, and Amazon, the latter reportedly in talks to invest up to $50 billion. Subsequent contributions from investors like SoftBank, which has indicated a willingness to invest another $30 billion, would follow. The specifics of this funding round remain fluid and subject to change as negotiations progress.
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