Three Years After Launch, ChatGPT’s Influence Continues to Grow

Three years after OpenAI introduced ChatGPT on November 30, 2022, the chatbot’s impact on technology and business remains profound. What began as a simple conversational tool quickly became a global sensation, dominating app charts and inspiring a wave of generative AI products. Its rise has also sparked cultural shifts, influencing how people write, work, and think about technology.

Writers and analysts have reflected on the sweeping influence of ChatGPT. Author Karen Hao described OpenAI as a force more powerful than many nation-states, reshaping geopolitics and daily life. Journalist Charlie Warzel argued that we now live in a world shaped by ChatGPT, one marked by uncertainty as people wonder how AI will alter careers and industries. He noted that younger generations feel particularly uneasy as they prepare to enter a workforce with fewer predictable paths. Older workers, too, face warnings that their hard-earned skills may soon lose value. Even those who stand to benefit from AI’s growth are watching closely, waiting to see how the technology evolves because, as its strongest supporters claim, it is never truly finished.

While some worry about the future, others see opportunity. Investors and tech leaders are betting heavily on AI’s long-term potential, and the financial markets reflect this enthusiasm. Bloomberg reported that since ChatGPT’s release, Nvidia has seen its stock rise nearly tenfold. Other major tech companies have also surged, with the seven largest firms on the S&P 500 now responsible for almost half of the index’s growth over the past three years. Their dominance has made the market more top-heavy, with these companies representing 35% of the index’s total weight compared to about 20% before ChatGPT debuted.

Still, industry leaders warn that the rapid expansion may not be sustainable. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has said that someone will eventually lose a large amount of money in the AI race. Sierra CEO and OpenAI board chair Bret Taylor also described the current moment as a bubble similar to the dot-com era, though he believes AI will ultimately create enormous economic value. Whether that optimism is justified may become clear in the years ahead.