OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently revealed that although the ChatGPT Pro subscription service seems to have a high monthly fee of US$200, the actual operating costs are much higher than the revenue. He pointed out that ChatGPT’s operating costs used to be as high as US$700,000 per day, and the main sources of this expenditure included employee salaries, office rent, and the infrastructure needed to support the operation and training of AI models. As a result, the service was loss-making, increasing the company’s financial pressure.
To solve the loss problem, OpenAI is actively seeking technical improvement and business model optimization. Altman said the company is committed to improving server efficiency and reducing infrastructure spending to reduce costs while maintaining high-quality services. In addition, OpenAI is exploring more diversified revenue streams, including technology licensing, partnering with enterprises, and introducing higher-value services to increase cash flow.
At present, OpenAI’s cooperation projects with large technology companies such as Microsoft have brought stable income to the company. However, Altman believes that further innovation and diversification of business models will be key to staying competitive in the future. Furthermore, as per Techcrunch, OpenAI is reportedly exploring higher subscription prices across its tiers to achieve profitability. The company ambitiously forecasts reaching $100 billion in annual revenue by 2029, rivaling Nestlé’s current yearly sales.
