OpenAI Unveils Current Number of ChatGPT for Enterprise Customers: Insights and Growth Trends

Despite its name, OpenAI is not particularly transparent about its business operations. However, recent insights suggest that its ChatGPT for Enterprise subscription tier is gaining traction.

Since its launch in August 2023, ChatGPT for Enterprise has attracted over 260 business customers, totaling more than 150,000 unique users, as reported by OpenAI’s Chief Operating Officer, Brad Lightcap, in a Bloomberg interview.

While OpenAI does not publicly disclose pricing on its website, a Reddit user indicated a cost of approximately $60 per seat. If accurate, this could translate to about $9 million in monthly revenue, or $108 million annually from these users. Although impressive for a new product, this represents a small portion of OpenAI's overall reported annual revenue of $1.6 billion.

Which companies are using ChatGPT for Enterprise? OpenAI has not provided a comprehensive list, but it mentioned notable clients like Block, Canva, Carlyle, The Estée Lauder Companies, PwC, and Zapier in a recent blog post. This disclosure highlights considerable corporate interest in OpenAI's large language model (LLM)-powered chatbots, especially amid concerns regarding AI usage around data accuracy, regulations, and privacy protections.

OpenAI emphasizes that with its ChatGPT for Enterprise tier, "enterprise data is excluded from training by default," addressing some concerns businesses may have about data security.

Despite the presence of cheaper, open-source alternatives like Meta’s Llama 2 and Mistral’s Mixtral, enterprises seem willing to invest in OpenAI's technology. These open-source solutions often require significant user effort to implement and maintain, lacking the support and resources that come with OpenAI's offerings.

Moreover, OpenAI's partnership with Microsoft enhances its credibility in the enterprise sector, as Microsoft integrates various OpenAI tools into its suite of products. For many businesses, choosing a ready-to-use solution from OpenAI, complete with customer support, might outweigh the complexities of exploring less expensive options.

The consumer technology landscape reflects a similar trend—people are willing to pay for convenience and reliability, opting for services like Apple, Netflix, and Amazon despite the availability of free alternatives.

OpenAI recently introduced a new subscription tier, ChatGPT Team, priced at $30 per user per month (or $25 with an annual commitment). While some might argue that OpenAI should focus on promoting its premium ChatGPT Enterprise tier, this new offering could attract small to medium-sized businesses looking for a more accessible option. ChatGPT Enterprise provides unlimited messaging, while ChatGPT Team offers higher messaging caps, appealing to diverse customer needs.