OpenAI is pivoting its strategy towards business customers, as the ChatGPT maker faces increasing competition from rival Anthropic. The company’s chief financial officer, Sarah Friar, said that business clients now account for 40% of OpenAI’s revenue, up from 20% when she joined in 2024, and are expected to make up half by the end of the year. This shift has led OpenAI to abandon some consumer initiatives, such as the AI video generator Sora, to allocate more computing resources to business-oriented products.
OpenAI is preparing to release a new AI model designed for “high-value professional work,” codenamed Spud. Friar described it as the company's “smartest model yet,” with stronger reasoning and better reliability. The move comes as Anthropic, valued at $380 billion, launched its own powerful model, Claude Mythos, which it restricts to select customers due to its advanced capabilities. Anthropic also released Opus 4.7, its most powerful generally available model, while OpenAI countered with GPT-Rosalind, focused on drug discovery.
Both OpenAI and Anthropic are privately held and lose money, driving them to seek more revenue ahead of potential public offerings. OpenAI has over 900 million weekly users of ChatGPT, but 95% use the free version, straining computational resources. The company recently hired Slack’s former CEO, Denise Dresser, as its first chief revenue officer to strengthen corporate sales. Dresser noted that companies are moving beyond experimenting with AI to using it for real work.
The refocusing marks a sharp turnaround from late 2024, when OpenAI was exploring partnerships with Disney, advertising on ChatGPT, and even adult content. CEO Sam Altman acknowledged the need for a sharper focus, and Friar agreed, saying that “great companies” learn to narrow down and refocus, even if it is painful.
