What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is a conversational AI product that was initially offered for free, a strategy that proved revenue and retention positive, according to Nick Turley in March 2026. It has been compared to Netscape Navigator as a landmark technology, with Gavin Baker noting in March 2026 that the AI cycle may span 20-30 years.

• Dec 2025 - Max Bennett said that if ChatGPT learned from every chat, it would get rapidly dumber.
• Jan 2026 - Yejin Choi noted that ChatGPT, along with other models, exhibits intermodel homogeneity, sometimes generating nearly identical output.
• Mar 2026 - Nick Turley stated that the most common inquiry about ads is how to run one, not how to disable them.
• Mar 2026 - Nick Turley described ChatGPT’s retention curves as “smiling.”
• Apr 2026 - Brian Greene reported that ChatGPT reproduced results in half an hour that took months to achieve.
• May 2026 - Alex Lupsasca characterized ChatGPT as a collaborator, akin to a professor advising students.