OpenAI has ended its exclusive partnership with Microsoft, a collaboration that began with Microsoft's $1 billion investment in 2019. The two companies jointly announced an amended agreement allowing OpenAI to serve its products to customers across any cloud provider, moving beyond Microsoft's Azure.
Under the new terms, Microsoft retains a license for OpenAI's intellectual property and models through 2032, and Azure will continue as OpenAI's primary cloud partner. However, this license is now non-exclusive, permitting OpenAI to distribute its models through other major cloud platforms.
The existing 20% revenue share payment to Microsoft will continue, but it is capped and guaranteed only through 2030. This revenue share is now independent of OpenAI achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI), a departure from the original partnership's 'AGI clause'.