OpenAI has 1 million business users paying for ChatGPT, mulls higher-priced subscriptions
A year after launching the first business version of its generative artificial intelligence-powered chatbot, OpenAI announced that it has surpassed over one million paid users for its subscription-based services. This milestone was achieved just five months after reaching 600,000 paid users for its ChatGPT Enterprise and ChatGPT Team products.
Amid the AI frenzy, tech companies of all sizes are investing heavily in chips and computing power to train and operate large language models. These rising costs are now being passed on to customers.
Consideration of Higher-Priced Subscriptions
OpenAI is reportedly contemplating introducing higher-priced subscriptions for its new, more advanced large language models. The potential prices could go up to $2,000 per month, as per sources familiar with the matter cited by The Information. However, these figures are not final.
The company is said to be working on an upcoming model, codenamed Strawberry, which boasts superior reasoning abilities compared to its current models and could potentially power ChatGPT. Additionally, OpenAI is gearing up for the launch of its next flagship Large Language Model (LLM) named Orion.
Expansion of Services
Last August, OpenAI unveiled ChatGPT Enterprise, offering additional features like enterprise-grade security, privacy, and unlimited higher-speed GPT-4 access. Following this, the company launched ChatGPT Team tailored for smaller businesses.
Moreover, a version of the chatbot designed for university students, ChatGPT Edu, was introduced in May.
The company introduced paid business services to alleviate the substantial costs associated with running its models. Despite this, the free version of ChatGPT continues to attract hundreds of millions of users each month.
Global User Base
OpenAI revealed that the number of users reflects individuals for whom a business pays for in its subscription, with varying numbers based on company size and requirements. More than half of the paid users are located outside the U.S., with Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom emerging as the top three non-U.S. countries.
A survey of 4,700 business users conducted by OpenAI indicated that over 90% reported increases in productivity, 88% noted time savings, and 75% experienced boosts in creativity and innovation.
According to Brad Lightcap, chief operating officer of OpenAI, AI is reshaping various sectors, including education, healthcare, and government services. The technology is revolutionizing work processes, enabling users to boost productivity, streamline operations, and discover new avenues for innovation.
