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OpenAI Shifts Focus to Business Users as Anthropic Pressure Mounts
ChatGPT maker OpenAI looks to corporate clients to drive revenue growth amid competition with rival Anthropic.
Apr. 16, 2026 at 12:48pm by Ben Kaplan
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As OpenAI shifts its focus to business-oriented AI products, the company's underlying technological infrastructure becomes increasingly vital to powering the next generation of enterprise-grade AI solutions.San Francisco TodayOpenAI, the company behind the popular ChatGPT chatbot, is shifting its focus to business-oriented products as it faces heightened competition from rival Anthropic. The company plans to introduce a new AI model for 'high-value professional work' to attract more corporate customers and generate more revenue. OpenAI's chief financial officer, Sarah Friar, says business customers now account for 40% of the company's revenue, up from 20% when she joined in 2024, and are expected to make up half of OpenAI's sales by the end of the year.
Why it matters
The shift in focus to business customers is a strategic move by OpenAI to address the financial challenges of powering its AI systems, which are costly to run. With the majority of ChatGPT users not paying for the service, OpenAI needs to find ways to generate more revenue, especially as it faces growing competition from Anthropic, another AI company that has been gaining traction with corporate clients.
The details
OpenAI's new AI model, codenamed Spud, is described as the 'smartest model yet' and is intended to offer 'stronger reasoning, better understanding of intent and dependencies, better follow-through and more reliable output in production.' This model is part of OpenAI's response to Anthropic's new Claude Mythos, which Anthropic claims is so capable that it is limiting its use to select customers due to its apparent ability to surpass human cybersecurity experts.
- OpenAI hired Slack CEO Denise Dresser as its first chief revenue officer three months ago.
- OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman said on the 'Mostly Human' podcast earlier this month that a sharper focus was needed for the company.
The players
Sarah Friar
The chief financial officer of OpenAI, who joined the company in 2024.
Denise Dresser
The newly hired chief revenue officer of OpenAI, previously the CEO of Slack.
Sam Altman
The co-founder and CEO of OpenAI.
Anthropic
A rival AI company that has been gaining traction with corporate clients and positioning itself as the more responsible AI vendor.
Donald Trump
The former president of the United States, whose administration punished Anthropic after a contract dispute over AI use in the military.
What they’re saying
“You'll see a new model coming from us in short order. We feel very excited about it.”
— Sarah Friar, Chief Financial Officer, OpenAI
“It's really clear to me that companies are past the experimentation phase and they're into using AI to do real work. Leaders at companies are recognizing that AI is probably the most consequential shift of their lifetime.”
— Denise Dresser, Chief Revenue Officer, OpenAI
“Their story is built on fear, restriction, and the idea that a small group of elites should control AI. Our positive message will win over time: build powerful systems, put in the right safeguards, expand access, and help people do more.”
— Denise Dresser, Chief Revenue Officer, OpenAI
What’s next
OpenAI plans to introduce its new AI model, codenamed Spud, in the near future as part of its push to attract more business customers and generate more revenue.
The takeaway
OpenAI's shift in focus to business-oriented products highlights the financial challenges of powering its AI systems, which are costly to run. The competition with Anthropic, another AI company gaining traction with corporate clients, is driving OpenAI to prioritize revenue growth and profitability over consumer-facing initiatives.
