ChatGPT Crosses 1B User Mark, Outpaces TikTok as Claude Accelerates AI Race

- ChatGPT becomes fastest app in history to reach 1 billion monthly active users - Anthropic’s Claude surges in downloads and moves toward IPO as AI rivalry intensifies On June 3, 2026, Reuters reported that OpenAI’s ChatGPT reached 1 billion monthly active users in May 2026. This milestone set a new industry record for rapid adoption and highlighted the accelerating transformation of the global AI market, as ChatGPT’s growth eclipsed the adoption speeds of previous benchmarks such as Google Maps, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Meanwhile, rival Anthropic is riding its own wave of explosive growth. According to Forbes on May 28, 2026, Claude, Anthropic’s AI platform, saw a 627% year-over-year increase in worldwide app downloads and reached a global active user base of 56 million in the second quarter of 2026. In addition, Forbes reported that users who downloaded Claude spent 5% less time on ChatGPT after just one month, which signals that user attention is increasingly divided between the leading AI platforms. As a result, Anthropic is capitalizing on its momentum and, according to Forbes on June 1, 2026, confidentially filed for a US IPO ahead of OpenAI’s widely anticipated public listing. Furthermore, prediction market platform Polymarket indicated a notable shift in sentiment. On June 3, 2026, Polymarket data showed a 74% probability that Anthropic would go public before OpenAI and an 84% probability that Anthropic would have the top-performing AI model by the end of June 2026. These probabilities reflect a growing market confidence in Anthropic’s technological trajectory. Overall, the rapid parallel growth of ChatGPT and Claude, the shift in user engagement, and both companies’ IPO preparations are redefining the competitive landscape for generative AI. The market now focuses on which company will set the pace in both innovation and scale, as OpenAI and Anthropic position themselves at the forefront of the sector’s next phase.