Open AI is on FIRE!
Competitive threats from open source, employees leaving, board room drama, strained Microsoft relationship -- all be damned
Despite many internal and external challenges in the last 12 months, OpenAI continues to execute at an amazing level.
Just a few highlights
Adoption
1M sign-ups in one hour (source) and now have 400M weekly users (source)
Corporate adoption increases as has 1 million paid users for its business versions, including ChatGPT Team, ChatGPT Enterprise, and ChatGPT Edu (source)
On pace, reportedly, for $12B in revenue this year (2025) up from $4.5B last year
Product improvements continue
Enhanced image generation in GPT-4 and improvements in 4.0
The amazing Deep Research offering (now available for $20/mo).
Continued preference by many b2b and b2c users vs Microsoft Co pilot and other tools in our GAI Insights community and via adhoc surveys of corporate users
Successful fundraising
Raised $40B on $300B valuation. (Note that $30B continent on conversion to an for-profit entity)
Impressive Partnerships
OpenAI announced the Stargate Project, a $500 billion joint venture with Oracle, SoftBank, and MGX to build AI infrastructure, working with the US government
Open source threat? Microsoft partnership falling apart? - who cares!
OpenAI continues to execute impressively.
P.S., we continue to get companies requesting our free Secure Employee Chat Feature Comparison guide as they look for alternatives to Microsoft Co-Pilot.
Register here for this massive AI Summit at MIT Apr 15. Tickets are free. Dr. John Sviokla and I are both speaking.
Sponsor or attend our 3rd annual conference, GAI World 2025, celebrating and learning from corporate leaders IN PRODUCTION with GenAI applications. Our conference is Sep 29-30 in Boston (we sold out the last 2 years). More info here
GAI World 2025 occurs Sep 29-30 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston
This conference focus on celebrating and learning from companies in-production with enterprise GenAI.
Audience titles; Board member, CEO, SVP Digital, Chief Innovation Office, CTO, CDO, and AI team leads
800 attendees, 120 speakers, 60 case studies, 15 AI startups, 30 exhibitors
The conference includes multiple networking events including a Women in AI breakfast and a Celebrating Black Pioneers lunch
What highlight video and all the energy from our 2024 sold-out conference here.
Confirmed speakers for 2025 so far
Dr. John John Halamka, President, Mayo Clinic Platform (just added)
Shikhar Ghosh, Professor, Harvard Business School
Melissa Smith, CEO, WEX (NYSE: WEX)
Karen Stroup, Chief Digital Officer, WEX (NYSE: WEX)
Heather Lavoie EVP and CIO, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
Barbara Widholm, VP of AI, State Street Bank (NYSE: STT)
Kausar Riaz Ahmed, Director, Generative AI, Pfizer (NYSE: PFE)
Dr. Thomas Kingsley, Director Epidemiology AI Lab, UCLA Health
Gaye Bok, Partner, AI and Digital Innovation Fund, Mass General Brigham
Ramesh Raskar, Professor and Director Media Lab, MIT
Parag Shah, VP Data, CarGurus (NASDAQ: CARG)
Ben Kasdon, VP Products, CarGurus (NASDAQ: CARG)
Veronika Durgin, VP Data, Saks (NYSEL SKS)
Nina Lee Grooms, Board Member, Alamo Group (NYSE: ALG)
Andy Stetzler, Enterprise AI Lead, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Randy Bean, Senior Advisor, Data & AI Leadership Exchange
David Edelman, Professor, Harvard Business School
Andy Roberts, AI Architect, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)
Kevin Shatzkamer, CVP, Microsoft Customer Experience, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT)
Pete Blackshaw, CEO, BrandRank.AI
Christopher Broone, Group VP of Life Sciences, Oracle (NYSE: ORCL)
Jeffrey Rayport, Professor, Harvard Business School
Rizwan Mallal, COO, Quantum Gears
Dr. Ryan Vega, Chief Health Officer, Vantiq
Gamiel Gran, Chief Commercial Officer, Mayfield Fund
Mike Grandinetti, Serial Tech Entrepreneur & Faculty, Harvard
Vladimir Jacimovic, CEO, AlgoVerde
Chris McKay, CEO, Maginative
Anthony Hill, CEO and Founder, Adaptix Corp
Kent Lucas, Founding Partner, Non Sibi Ventures
Dr. Tamara Nall, CEO, The Leading Niche
Tom Davenport, Professor, Babson College
Rudina Seseri, Managing Partner, Glasswing Ventures
John Werner, Founder, Imagination in Action
Adam Rappaport, Co-Fonder and AI Analyst, GAI Insights
“Dreams are the touchstones of our character.” – Henry David Thoreau
Onward,
Paul
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