OpenAI launches ChatGPT publicly, reaching 100 million users in 60 days with no federal safety regulation

OpenAI released ChatGPT to the public on November 30, 2022, making a large language model available to any user with an internet connection for the first time. The free-tier product had no age verification, no mandatory content filtering for self-harm prompts, and no parental access controls. ChatGPT reached 100 million monthly active users in two months — faster than any consumer application in recorded history. No federal AI safety statute existed; the FTC had general consumer protection authority but had issued no AI-specific rules.