OpenAI relies on a combination of innovative AI products, its own infrastructure, and a strategic partnership with Apple to achieve its ambitious goals: by the end of 2025, the user base is to grow to 1 billion. The maker of ChatGPT, which now has 250 million weekly active users, aims to expand worldwide with "AI agents," a new search engine, and the integration of ChatGPT on Apple devices.
According to Sarah Friar, Chief Financial Officer of OpenAI, the company is in a massive growth phase that requires continuous investments. "We need to stay at the forefront of technological development, which incurs significant costs," said Friar. Already in October, OpenAI secured a record financing of over 6 billion US dollars with a valuation of 150 billion US dollars.
A central part of the strategy is to build its own data centers in the USA to reduce reliance on external service providers. In doing so, OpenAI follows the example of tech giants like Google and Amazon. "Data, chips, and energy are the crucial resources in the AI race," explained Chris Lehane, OpenAI's new policy chief.
The integration of ChatGPT into Apple's devices plays a key role in user acquisition. Apple, with 2 billion iPhones worldwide, could help OpenAI reach the billion mark faster. An investor emphasized: "With Apple's support, it is realistic to gain 1 billion users – and thus enter the competition with Google and Facebook.
In 2025, OpenAI plans to introduce "AI agents" capable of executing complex tasks online, such as booking services or shopping. "Agentic will be the word of the year. We are on the brink of introducing the first successful everyday assistants," says Friar.
While OpenAI is strategically repositioning itself, the company is also grappling with internal challenges. In addition to high costs of over 5 billion US dollars annually, there are personnel upheavals: Several key figures, including co-founder Ilya Sutskever, have left the company. However, newly arrived executives are expected to strengthen the focus on marketable products to cover the rising expenses.
OpenAI must also navigate an increasingly complex political landscape. Lehane, an experienced political strategist, sees collaboration with the US government as a crucial role. In particular, competition with China in the field of AI technology is driving the discussions. "If the US wants to remain a leader in AI, OpenAI will play a central role," said Lehane.
Despite a public conflict with Elon Musk, who recently filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, Lehane emphasizes the need to promote democratic AI models. "The coming years will initiate a historic transformation. It is our responsibility to shape these discussions.
