OpenAI as a digital rentier: a cut of ChatGPT customers' profits?

OpenAI is considering a move away from fixed subscriptions toward a royalty model, in which customers pay a percentage of the profits they earn by using ChatGPT and the company's other tools. OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar made the remarks on a podcast, 3DNews AI reports. The statement sparked a wave of discussion in the tech community, since it marks a fundamental break from the monetization scheme the AI market is used to.

What OpenAI is proposing

Today, AI services, including ChatGPT, make money through fixed subscriptions or pay-as-you-go billing. According to Friar, OpenAI is considering a third option: instead of charging a preset price, the company would take a share of the profit a customer actually generates by applying ChatGPT and other OpenAI tools in its business. In other words, the payment would be tied not to the number of tokens consumed or the pricing plan, but to the customer's financial results. That is a shift from one price for every user to an individual price that depends on how successfully a given company has built AI into its workflows.

Friar's logic: pay for real results

OpenAI's CFO makes a simple argument: an AI tool's value comes down to how much money it helps a customer make. If ChatGPT brings a company millions, it is fair for OpenAI to receive part of that profit; if there is no tangible benefit, there should be no large royalties either. OpenAI pitches this as a fairer way to price the technology than a flat subscription, which ignores how effectively a customer uses the product. In essence, OpenAI is offering to share the risks and rewards of AI adoption with its customers rather than simply selling access to a model.

Risks and open questions

The royalty scheme has weak spots, which came up in the discussion of the initiative. First, it requires a transparent, reliable mechanism for tracking profit generated specifically by ChatGPT. That is no trivial task for companies with complex business processes, where AI's contribution is hard to isolate. Second, a profit-sharing obligation could scare off startups and small businesses that aren't ready to give up part of their revenue in the early stages of growth. Third, the model gives customers an incentive to underreport or hide some of the revenue they earn with AI in order to pay lower royalties.

Frequently asked questions

What is the royalty model OpenAI is considering?

It is a payment scheme in which a customer pays OpenAI not a fixed subscription, but a percentage of the profit earned by using ChatGPT and the company's other tools. The more real financial benefit AI delivers, the higher the payment, and vice versa.

Who announced OpenAI's plans to move to royalties, and when?

OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar said the company is considering such a model on a recent podcast. The company has not announced any official decision to launch it; this is an option under consideration for changing the business model.

What risks does the royalty model pose for OpenAI customers?

The main risks are the difficulty of transparently accounting for profit generated specifically by AI, the reluctance of small businesses and startups to share revenue at an early stage, and the possible temptation for customers to underreport revenue in order to pay less.