Background and Scale

ChatGPT, OpenAI’s conversational AI, is used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Each interaction requires powerful chips, electricity, water and other data‑center resources, making every request costly on the backend despite a “free” label for some users.

Financial Evolution

Founded in 2015 as a nonprofit, OpenAI later adopted a capped‑profit model in 2019. This change attracted major investors, including Microsoft, which holds a substantial ownership stake, as well as SoftBank and Nvidia. The shift allowed the organization to raise billions of dollars, supporting frontier‑level research and the massive infrastructure needed for global AI access.

Revenue Streams

OpenAI generates income through several subscription tiers. ChatGPT Plus costs $20 per month, ChatGPT Pro $200 per month, and the newer ChatGPT Go tier is priced at $8 per month for users who also receive ads. Enterprise and team plans add further revenue, while API usage by businesses contributes significant annualized earnings.

Rising Costs and the Need for New Income

Operating at this scale has pushed OpenAI’s expenses to around $17 billion a year. Even with subscription revenue, the company faces a shortfall because each additional user adds substantial compute costs, unlike traditional consumer platforms where marginal costs are low.

Advertising Introduction

To address the cost gap, OpenAI has begun displaying labeled advertisements to free users and those on the $8‑per‑month ChatGPT Go tier. The ads appear separate from chat responses, marking the first major move toward ad‑based revenue for the service.

Implications for Users and Businesses

For everyday users, the presence of ads may signal future constraints on free access and a greater push toward paid subscriptions. Business customers relying on the API may see pricing adjustments as OpenAI balances cost recovery with market competition.

Broader Industry Context

The situation highlights a key difference between generative AI and other consumer technologies: each new user can generate dozens or hundreds of costly computations daily. As AI becomes woven into daily life, the economics of providing these capabilities will shape product design, pricing models, and the prevalence of ads.

Usado: News Factory APP - descubrimiento de noticias y automatización - ChatGPT para Empresas