OpenAI is highlighting a strong year for its enterprise business just days after an internal “code red” memo warned staff about intensifying competition from Google and Anthropic.
The company says ChatGPT Enterprise usage has surged eightfold year-on-year, with corporate clients reporting that the platform saves workers at least an hour every day. The adoption spike comes as businesses increasingly embed generative AI into workflows ranging from customer support to software development.
But behind the upbeat messaging, OpenAI is under pressure. Internally, leaders have raised concerns about Google’s accelerated rollout of enterprise AI features and Anthropic’s rapid advances with Claude. The memo underscored fears that Google’s deep cloud integrations and longstanding corporate relationships pose a direct threat to OpenAI’s enterprise growth.
There are also questions about whether OpenAI can maintain its current pace without significantly raising costs. Running large-scale models for enterprise clients is expensive, and industry analysts note that profitability hinges on either higher pricing or more efficient model infrastructure.
OpenAI insists it is well-positioned, pointing to record client retention and expanding partnerships. Still, the competitive landscape is tightening, and the company’s internal warning suggests that 2026 will force OpenAI to push harder on innovation, pricing strategy and enterprise services.
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