OpenAI Projects 18 Trillion Won Revenue This Year... Triple Increase

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) developer OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, is expected to see its revenue triple from the previous year to reach $12.7 billion (approximately 18.6563 trillion KRW) this year, thanks to an increase in paid subscribers, Bloomberg reported on the 26th (local time), citing sources.

Last September, The New York Times (NYT) reported that OpenAI was targeting $11.6 billion in revenue for this year. This marks a 10% upward revision in about six months.

Sam Altman, CEO and founder of OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, is attending the 'Kakao Media Day' held at the Plaza Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 4th, having a conversation with Jeong Sin-ah, CEO of Kakao. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

OpenAI generated $3.7 billion in revenue last year, more than double the $1.6 billion recorded in 2023.

Sources expect OpenAI's revenue to continue growing rapidly, estimating it will reach $29.4 billion next year, more than double this year's figure.

OpenAI's rapid revenue growth is driven by an increase in paid subscribers. In September last year, OpenAI announced it had secured 1 million paid users for its enterprise ChatGPT. Recently, it launched a ChatGPT Pro option priced at $200 per month, which allows access to the most advanced AI models. The company is also considering launching enterprise products costing thousands of dollars per month.

As a result, revenue is expected to exceed $125 billion by 2029, about ten times this year's projected revenue. However, sources noted that due to the enormous costs involved in AI development, cash flow is not expected to be positive until 2029. OpenAI faces significant expenses related to semiconductors, data centers, and talent acquisition necessary for cutting-edge AI development.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.