Nick Turley, the head of ChatGPT at OpenAI, has offered a rare look into the AI’s meteoric rise, revealing how deep user loyalty is shaping its future. Speaking to The Verge, Turley said ChatGPT has now reached 700 million weekly users, making it the fastest-growing software product in history.

He noted that the emotional connection many have with the tool became clear after the launch of GPT-5.

When demand surged for the older GPT-4o model following its retirement, OpenAI reinstated it—something that even caught Turley off guard.

That moment, he said, is influencing how the company will handle future model retirements.

Monetisation built on trust

Turley reaffirmed confidence in ChatGPT’s subscription model, which started as a way to manage demand during server strain.

Unlike many tech products where engagement drops over time, recent subscription cohorts have matched or exceeded early user activity.

Enterprise adoption is also gaining traction, with paying business customers climbing from three million to five million in recent months.

“Workplace adoption is a major long-term growth opportunity,” Turley said.

On advertising, he urged caution. While indirect monetisation could be explored, he stressed it must “safeguard ChatGPT’s core value of providing personalised, unbiased responses.” Maintaining user trust, he added, remains non-negotiable.

New frontiers: Commerce and beyond

Turley sees potential in commerce, with ChatGPT already offering product recommendations and OpenAI exploring affiliate-style revenue-sharing models.

Still, he said business expansion will only come “once the discovery experience feels compelling.”

Looking ahead, ChatGPT could integrate more deeply into productivity tools and workflows, evolving beyond its current chatbot format.

Turley’s vision balances innovation, monetisation, and preserving the qualities that made ChatGPT an unprecedented success.