ChatGPT's Rapid Growth in Europe Confirmed by OpenAI Data

ChatGPT Search's Rapid Growth in Europe

ChatGPT Search, OpenAI's innovative feature that integrates real-time web information into its responses, is experiencing significant growth across Europe. According to a report from OpenAI Ireland Limited, the feature saw an average of 41.3 million monthly active recipients in the European Union during the six months ending March 31, 2025. This marks a substantial increase from the 11.2 million monthly active recipients reported for the period ending October 31, 2024.

OpenAI's commitment to transparency under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) drives the regular publication of such data. The DSA, which governs numerous aspects of online services in European countries, defines monthly active recipients as individuals who engage with the service at least once during a specified period. This engagement can involve viewing or listening to information on the platform or contributing content.

Compliance with the EU's Digital Services Act

The DSA imposes strict requirements on "very large" online platforms and search engines, which are those with over 45 million average monthly recipients. These entities must provide options for users to opt out of recommendation systems and profiling, share data with researchers and authorities, and undergo external audits. Given ChatGPT Search's current growth trajectory, it may soon fall under these obligations.

Non-compliance with the DSA can lead to severe penalties, including fines up to 6% of a company's global turnover. Persistent non-compliance could even result in temporary suspension from operating within the EU.

Competing with Google

Since its launch last year, ChatGPT Search has been carving out a niche against established players like Google. A September poll revealed that 8% of respondents would opt for ChatGPT over Google as their primary search engine. However, Google still holds a commanding lead, processing an estimated 373 times more searches than ChatGPT.

Reliability Concerns

Despite its growing popularity, researchers have raised concerns about the reliability of ChatGPT Search and other AI-driven search engines. A study found that ChatGPT incorrectly identified 67% of the articles it was tasked to find. Another investigation highlighted accuracy issues with ChatGPT's handling of news content, even from publishers with whom OpenAI has licensing agreements.

As ChatGPT Search continues to expand its reach in Europe, it faces both opportunities and challenges in meeting regulatory standards and competing with industry giants while addressing concerns about its accuracy and reliability.