OpenAI, the renowned provider of generative AI tool ChatGPT, is actively reaching out to Fortune 500 companies to offer its services directly, according to a reliable source. In meetings held by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and COO Brad Lightcap in San Francisco, New York, and London, they presented OpenAI’s enterprise offerings, highlighting ChatGPT Enterprise, a powerful chatbot service specifically designed for corporate use, as well as software that integrates customer applications with OpenAI’s AI services through APIs.
Altman and Lightcap revealed that more than 92% of Fortune 500 companies already utilize the consumer version of their chatbot. To alleviate concerns about data privacy and security, OpenAI assured potential clients that data from ChatGPT Enterprise would not be utilized for training its models. This assurance comes after OpenAI faced legal action related to alleged data violations.
This move places OpenAI in competition with its primary financial supporter, Microsoft, which already provides certain OpenAI services through its own platforms, such as Azure cloud and Microsoft 365 Copilot. Some executives expressed skepticism about paying for ChatGPT Enterprise on top of existing Microsoft services. However, Altman and Lightcap addressed these concerns by emphasizing the advantages of direct collaboration with OpenAI’s team, offering access to state-of-the-art models and customized AI solutions tailored to enterprise requirements.
As of March 2024, OpenAI is valued at $68 billion and is on track to achieve its revenue target of $1 billion for the year. The company aims to make significant contributions to its bottom line through sales of its enterprise model. During the meetings, Lightcap disclosed a surge in interest in the business model, with over 600,000 signups for ChatGPT Enterprise and Team, a significant increase from 150,000 in January. This highlights the growing demand for AI solutions in the corporate sector.
OpenAI has also reportedly engaged in discussions with Hollywood movie studios, promoting its Sora video creation tool to studio executives. While the technology has generated excitement, concerns remain regarding the source of training data, output reliability, and copyright protection.