CFO says 2026 will see more practical applications of its technology across a range of sectors
Trade
Sam Altman, OpenAI
OpenAI has experienced unprecedented growth, with revenue more than tripling from $6 billion (around €5 billion) in 2024 to over $20 billion (around €17 billion) in 2025. The platform is also recording a record number of weekly and daily active users.
Sarah Friar, the company’s chief financial officer, attributed the success to the significantly expanded computing capacity, which has risen from 0.6 gigawatts to 1.9 gigawatts. Friar pointed to the direct link between revenue and the available technical infrastructure, and argued that better access to computing power would have accelerated customer adoption and monetisation even further.
Looking ahead to 2026, Friar outlined a focus on the “practical application” of OpenAI technology in various sectors, including healthcare, science and business. The next phase of the platform’s development will concentrate on agents and the automation of workflows.
Last week, OpenAI announced plans to introduce adverts in ChatGPT for a select group of users in the United States. The move is intended to generate additional revenue to support the costly development of AI chatbot technology.
Business AM