OpenAI has not met key targets for ChatGPT user numbers and revenue, according to Decrypt, citing expert statements.
Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar warned that computing costs risk outpacing revenue.
OpenAI aimed to attract a billion active users per week by the end of last year. This goal was not achieved, causing concern among some investors.
“When the dust settles, companies will find that much of the work still relies on human judgment, collaboration, and contextual understanding, which AI cannot yet replicate,” commented Foresight Ventures investment partner Alice Lee.
OpenAI has secured funding for large expenses through active deal-making. Friar cautioned that revenue might not grow quickly enough to cover these contracts.
Board members have begun scrutinizing data center agreements more closely and are questioning Sam Altman’s push to increase computing power amid slowing growth.
Forge CEO Kelly Rodriques stated that Anthropic has already surpassed OpenAI in market capitalization — $1 trillion compared to $800 billion.
Deal with Microsoft
Amid financial uncertainty, OpenAI revised its agreement with Microsoft. The Windows creator lost exclusive access to all products and intellectual property of the ChatGPT developer and received a non-exclusive license until 2032.
Both companies still refer to Microsoft as OpenAI’s “primary cloud partner.” This could mean that Azure will support most of the startup’s infrastructure over the next six years. Meanwhile, OpenAI aims to build its own data centers in collaboration with other partners.
OpenAI’s products will be delivered “primarily on Azure,” the companies stated. However, the startup “can now offer its solutions to clients through any cloud service provider.”
In return, the new agreement frees Microsoft from the obligation to share a portion of its revenue with OpenAI.
The corporation retains about 27% of the commercial organization.
Smartphone Development
The creation of hardware devices could be a “lifeline” for OpenAI’s financial situation. Renowned insider and analyst from TF International Securities Ming-Chi Kuo reported that the startup is developing a smartphone chip in collaboration with Qualcomm and MediaTek. Luxshare is handling production and joint system design.
— 郭明錤｜Ming-Chi Kuo (@mingchikuo) April 27, 2026
The new device will not just be another smartphone with a chatbot icon. Developers aim to eliminate apps entirely, replacing them with an AI agent capable of directly executing user commands.
“Only by fully controlling both the OS and hardware can OpenAI provide a comprehensive service,” wrote Kuo.
The chip will perform computations on the device and in the cloud, while the phone will track context in real time.
Mass production is expected in 2028.
In May 2025, OpenAI announced the acquisition of a startup by former Apple design chief Jony Ive, which is involved in creating AI devices.