7 staggering figures about OpenAI, the undisputed leader in generative AI

It is the start-up that is behind the boom in generative artificial intelligence (AI). The launch of ChatGPT in late 2022 took OpenAI to a whole new dimension, transforming it into one of the leading figures in Silicon Valley. Here are 7 figures shedding light on the scale of the phenomenon.

$157 billion

Like other companies operating in this sector, OpenAI has no difficulty raising colossal sums. Proof of this is with its latest funding round, completed on October 2 for $6.6 billion, increasing its valuation from $80 billion to $157 billion. This is more than any other start-up specializing in generative AI.

This fundraising turned out to be one of the largest private investments ever made. OpenAI is now one of the three most valuable start-ups in the world, alongside SpaceX and ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok.

The company intends to use these funds to “ strengthen its leadership in cutting-edge AI research, increase computing capacity, and continue creating tools that help people solve difficult problems “. As a reminder, the ultimate goal of its CEO, Sam Altman, is the development of artificial general intelligence (AGI), that is to say equal to human reasoning in many areas.

13 billion dollars

This is the total amount invested by Microsoft in the start-up. After an initial $1 billion bill in 2019, the Redmond firm repeated in 2020 for an undisclosed sum. In 2023, it injected around $11 billion more into the company, drastically strengthening their partnership.

This materializes through an exchange of good processes: while OpenAI benefits from Microsoft’s immense computing capacities through its Azure technology and its servers, the software giant accesses the large language models developed by the young company. . The strategy was decisive for Microsoft, which established itself as one of the leaders in generative AI thanks to its Copilot AI, powered by the different OpenAI models including GPT-4.

100 millions

In just two months of existence, ChatGPT, OpenAI’s conversational agent, reached 100 million users, becoming at the time the fastest growing consumer application in history. If it has since been overtaken by Threads, it is clear that this performance was an achievement, especially since this type of tool was completely unknown to the general public.

For comparison, TikTok, the previous record holder, took nine months to reach this figure, compared to around 2 and a half years for Instagram.

250 millions

ChatGPT now has 250 million monthly users, OpenAI revealed in a press release on its latest fundraising. Able to understand and respond in multiple languages, the chatbot is able to engage in conversations on a variety of topics, from casual discussions to complex technical questions.

Users can get help with writing, problem solving, and even computer programming. AI is used to generate creative ideas as well as to summarize long texts or explain complex concepts in a simplified way. Increasingly used, it is now establishing itself as a recourse to traditional search engines.

3 billion

OpenAI saw its annual revenue explode in just one year, from $1 billion to $3 billion. The company earns the maximum of its revenue thanks to its various paid offers, ChatGPT Plus, ChatGPT Enterprise and ChatGPT Teams. By signing up, users gain access to improved features such as faster response time, access to the model even during busy periods or image generation.

It also markets an API, which allows companies to adapt OpenAI models to their own activities. For example, by refining their performance on aspects defined from concrete cases.

5 billion

Not everything is rosy. Because generative AI is extremely expensive: the company’s annual expenses amount to 7 billion dollars, including 5 billion in losses… These costs include the rental of Microsoft’s server capacity necessary for the maintenance of ChatGPT , as well as those for training the start-up’s large language models.

OpenAI also injects significant sums into its partnerships with major media outlets, allowing it to use their content for training its AIs in exchange for remuneration.

7 trillion

You are not dreaming. This is the astronomical amount that Sam Altman aims to raise with the aim of considerably increasing global AI chip production capacity. They are, in fact, essential for running models and developing ever more sophisticated ones.

This includes setting up a network of manufacturing plants and creating massive data centers to house and operate the processors. The sum required represents nearly 14 times the revenue of the entire semiconductor market in 2023, and exceeds the combined market capitalizations of Apple and Microsoft, the two most valuable companies in the world.