While the AI ​​world awaits a wider rollout of ChatGPT-4o functions and the eventual transition to ChatGPT-5, parent company OpenAI enables its own transition.

OpenAI founder and CEO Sam Altman has reportedly told shareholders that the AI ​​company could evolve from a nonprofit to a for-profit company, according to original reporting from The information. This would match the structure of rival US AI companies Anthropic (creator of Claude 3) and Elon Musk’s xAI (creator of Grok).

The shift to a profit-oriented status makes sense for OpenAI, which is increasingly behaving like an $80 billion profit-driven company. The company’s non-profit mission and ChatGPT’s closed nature have also drawn criticism from the likes of Elon Musk, although he recently dropped its lawsuit against OpenAI.

More important than perception is that the change to a for-profit company could allow OpenAI to file for an initial public offering (IPO). Just four days ago, the booming AI company announced it had hired Sarah Friar as its first CFO, sparking speculation that an IP could be in its future.

An IPO would allow OpenAI to raise more money and hire new talent quickly. In my opinion, the timing couldn’t be better as the leading smartphone manufacturer is about to collaborate with the leading AI chatbot. Apples iOS 18 is set to ChatGPT integration and ChatGPT usage may spike along with resources. This will be a key advantage for Apple’s top phones, such as the iPhone 15 Pro Max and soon the iPhone 16about the Samsung Galaxy S24Ultrawhich has some AI features such as summaries and photo editing, but cannot answer questions through an LLM.

We are still a long way from a theoretical OpenAI IPO filing, and the earnings structure is only discussed in overheard comments and through speculation about new managers. But the signs and motives and both were there for it to happen.