OpenAI gears up for a 2025 blockbuster: big moves, big risks and potentially big rewards

With a valuation of $157 billion and a series of strategic measures, OpenAI sets the stage for what could be a transformative 2025.

The company strives to dominate the AI landscape by recruiting the best advertising talents from Google And Metalaunching a search-integrated ChatGPT and exploring advertising revenue while refining its for-profit structure.

“OpenAI is already disrupting the technologies and services that marketers and consumers rely on for their insights and shopping experiences,” said Nicole Greene, vice president analyst at Gartner.

OpenAI recently hired former Coinbase CMO and Meta Director Kate Rouch as its first marketing director, further underlines its ambitions to expand its market share and monetize its offerings.

“A CMO is signaling a focus on marketing and advertising as they seek to claim greater market share and potentially monetize their offerings,” Greene added.

Continuing its momentum, Apple announcement in June, it integrated ChatGPT with Siri, allowing users to initiate queries with “Ask ChatGPT” and seamlessly connect to OpenAI’s chatbot – a first indication of how big its partnerships could reach.

“As AI becomes more accessible to consumers, we should expect to see continued partnerships that leverage the large consumer and enterprise user base that OpenAI already has,” Greene said.

Challenges on the horizon

Even with its massive valuation and strong market presence, the path forward for OpenAI is far from guaranteed.

Legal battles, like the ongoing dispute with the New York Times, could drain resources. While the company high combustion rate and dependence on external financing adds additional layers of uncertainty to its growth prospects. In fact, Open AI expects a $5 billion loss in 2024, according to The New York Times.

While the AI ​​giant has yet to fully embrace the advertising model, its smaller competitorPerplexity is already test the waterspiloting advertisements on its AI-powered search engine. This leaves OpenAI with little room to delay its actions if it hopes to maintain its lead in the AI ​​race.

Brands demand accountability

But advertisers are increasingly demanding more than just looks: they want measurement, transparency and the ability to ensure brand safety. If OpenAI can be effective on these fronts, it could carve out a lucrative niche for itself. However, with current AI models still prone to inaccuracies and biases, the path to trust could be rocky.

“If OpenAI wants to capture a significant portion of these budgets from established competitors, they will need to invest in developing mature measurement capabilities,” said Christine Schrader, vice president of strategic innovation at Wpromote.

Google and Meta have long dominated digital advertising, thanks to their robust measurement tools. Even as platforms like TikTok have gained traction, their growth has been slower due to gaps in measurement accountability, particularly at launch, Schrader added.

For this, “overall management of paid and organic efforts is essential, and access to this type of data would be invaluable,” said Jason Hartley, head of media innovation and trust at PMG, which is currently testing advertisements on Perplexity.

Non-negotiable pillars

Given the risks of inaccuracies in current AI models, a strong governance framework is essential, according to Diana Caverly, director of global strategy at marketing agency MRM.

“The model must prioritize responsible AI practices, ensuring brand safety and societal benefits,” Caverly said. “Transparency, accountability and alignment with ethical standards will be non-negotiable pillars. »

Ultimately, brands want assurance that they won’t be linked to problematic content.

“An overview of the types of queries and responses we experience and the ability to proactively exclude our brands based on vertical or brand sensitivities. [is crucial]” said Brian Binder, senior director of innovation and growth at Tinuiti.

A seat at the table

OpenAI has partnered primarily with major media companies like News Corp, Axel Springer and Condé Nast.

Blavity, which recently partnered with Perplexitysaid that when the publisher spoke to OpenAI about a potential partnership, the AI ​​company said it was not seeking a revenue sharing deal with publishers at this time, according to its co-founder and COO Jeff Nelson.

Nelson emphasized the need for inclusiveness in AI development. And an AI model is only as good as its training data.

“AI systems that [will be] the winners are those who get the data, content and training corpus in a way that is inclusive and invites people to do it,” Nelson said. “What I expect from OpenAI is to bring us into the conversation – not just a token – but to invite us to the table. »