ChatGPT is mainstream, safe, and widely adopted with billions of prompts handled weekly. DarkGPT is niche, underground, and risky, often linked to phishing, malware, and leaked data. ChatGPT is the right choice for students, professionals, and everyday users. DarkGPT is only relevant for cybersecurity experts in controlled research environments.

The Numbers Paint the Divide

By mid-2025, ChatGPT was processing an astonishing 18 billion messages per week from over 700 million active users. That equals nearly 29,000 prompts per second, making ChatGPT one of the most widely used AI platforms in history. Some reports even estimate that the platform now supports over 800 million weekly users, with more than a billion queries sent daily. These numbers prove ChatGPT isn’t just a novelty. It has become part of how people learn, work, and create. 

DarkGPT, on the other hand, is far less visible. Unlike ChatGPT, there are no official usage reports or user counts. What we know comes from security research and dark web monitoring. Threat-intel teams have observed DarkGPT being promoted on hacker forums and Telegram channels as an “AI without safeguards.” It has been linked to phishing campaigns, malicious code generation, financial fraud, and even zero-day exploit sales. In other words, DarkGPT exists in secrecy, but when it appears, it’s often connected to high-risk cyber activity.

The contrast is stark: ChatGPT is mainstream, safe, and regulated. DarkGPT is niche, underground, and controversial. Understanding this divide is critical to deciding which tool, if any, you should use.

What We Know About ChatGPT and DarkGPT

ChatGPT: The Public Titan

• ChatGPT handles billions of prompts every week and has hundreds of millions of users across business, education, and personal domains.
• Most users access it through the free tier, but it’s widely integrated into productivity platforms, APIs, and enterprise tools.
• Researchers highlight both its benefits and risks. While it enables massive productivity gains, it can also be manipulated through “jailbreak” prompts.
• Despite concerns, ChatGPT’s design keeps it aligned with laws and compliance standards, making it broadly safe for daily use.

DarkGPT: The Underground AI

• DarkGPT is described as an OSINT assistant built on large models like GPT-4, tailored for querying leaked or stolen data.
• It has been marketed in underground spaces as a chatbot with no ethical filters, capable of generating phishing kits, malware, and fake identities.
• Reports connect DarkGPT to criminal markets, where it is sometimes bundled with stolen databases or zero-day exploits.
• Its hidden nature means usage statistics don’t exist. What’s clear is that it isn’t meant for everyday productivity.

New Insights from Research & Threat Intelligence

• Researchers have shown that generative AI can be integrated into cyber threat intelligence workflows, improving detection speed but also creating new attack surfaces.
• Reports from 2025 reveal attackers using AI agents to automate multi-stage campaigns such as reconnaissance, credential theft, and exploitation.
• Threat intelligence monitoring flagged DarkGPT on underground forums and Telegram, marketed as an AI with no safeguards that can generate phishing campaigns, malware, and fake identities.
• Dark web listings have connected DarkGPT to real threats, including a browser zero-day exploit bundled with hundreds of thousands of stolen credit card records.

DarkGPT vs ChatGPT: Key Differences

Making the Right Choice: DarkGPT vs ChatGPT

• If you are a student or educator, you should use ChatGPT because it is safe, reliable, and aligned with academic support needs. DarkGPT should be avoided, as it risks exposing learners to unlawful or harmful data.
• If you are a professional or business user, ChatGPT is the right choice because it integrates with workflows and enhances productivity. DarkGPT creates unacceptable compliance and reputational risks for organizations.
• If you are a cybersecurity researcher or red team analyst, you may use DarkGPT in a controlled lab to simulate attacker behavior or explore leaked data. However, ChatGPT should remain your choice for documentation, reporting, and safer tasks.
• If you are a malicious actor, DarkGPT is sometimes misused for phishing and malware creation. This highlights why defenders study it, but it should not be used for unethical purposes.
• If you are an everyday user or hobbyist, ChatGPT is your best option because it offers real value with minimal risk. DarkGPT provides no benefit and only invites problems.
• If you work in legal, compliance, or regulated fields, ChatGPT is suitable because it can be audited and aligned with oversight requirements. DarkGPT, by contrast, can lead to serious legal issues.
• If you are a tech enthusiast exploring AI, you should begin with ChatGPT, which is accessible and safe. DarkGPT should only be explored by those with expertise and legal protection.

Bottom line: ChatGPT is safe and practical for nearly everyone. DarkGPT should only be used by experts in secure, sanctioned environments, and even then, with extreme caution.

Key Takeaways

• ChatGPT is safe, mainstream, and used by hundreds of millions weekly.
• DarkGPT is underground, risky, and linked to leaked data, phishing, and malware.
• ChatGPT fits students, professionals, and everyday users.
• DarkGPT should only be used by cybersecurity experts in controlled labs.

To Sum Up

ChatGPT’s adoption is massive and measurable, making it a reliable choice for learning, work, and creative tasks. DarkGPT is hidden, poorly documented, and mostly tied to risky or unlawful uses. For most people, the decision is clear: ChatGPT is the tool to trust. DarkGPT is only relevant for niche, specialized research where understanding attacker tactics is the goal.

By recognizing the differences between the two, users and organizations can protect themselves better and avoid the dangers of unregulated AI.

Footnotes

1. OpenAI Economic Research Report on ChatGPT usage, July 2025.
2. DemandSage, “ChatGPT Statistics 2025.”
3. Visual Capitalist, “How People Use ChatGPT.”
4. SOCRadar, DarkGPT advertisements and Chrome 0-day exploit listing.
5. GBHackers, overview of DarkGPT as an OSINT tool.
6. MDPI, “Exploring Cyberattacks and AI Misuse.