Better Offline Monologue: ChatGPT's Growth Is Collapsing In Europe
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Oct 17, 2025 Ed Zitron dives into alarming data showing ChatGPT's subscription growth has stalled in Europe. He explores why European users are hesitant to pay, distancing the issue from GDPR concerns. With advertising seen as an unlikely savior for OpenAI, he questions their partner choices in data center infrastructure. The conversation raises intriguing thoughts on whether the AI bubble is losing air amidst these challenges, hinting at broader implications for the tech landscape.
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ChatGPT Growth Is Stalling In Europe
- OpenAI's paid ChatGPT growth in major European markets has largely stalled and sometimes declined month-over-month.
- Product launches produced shrinking, short-lived bumps rather than sustained European expansion.
Europe Is Rejecting Paid ChatGPT
- This decline pattern differs from historic software rollouts which usually grow steadily despite regional resistance.
- Europe appears to be actively refusing to pay for ChatGPT rather than being blocked by regulation or feature differences.
Ads Won't Easily Rescue OpenAI
- Relying on advertising to fix OpenAI's revenue problems is unlikely because GDPR complicates ad targeting in Europe.
- OpenAI lacks the decades of ad expertise, data, and sales infrastructure held by Google and Meta.