On January 21, Microsoft announced it would continue its strategic partnership with OpenAI. Two days later, OpenAI revealed that their collaboration would significantly expand. This development comes as no surprise — the companies joined forces back in 2019, resulting in innovations like Microsoft Copilot. However, their cooperation is now evolving beyond enhancing their joint offerings; it’s entering a new phase focused on advancing AI development.
Both companies plan to concentrate on AI research and its broader implications. OpenAI emphasizes the significant societal impact of artificial intelligence, stating its commitment to making the technology increasingly safe and useful. The organization also reaffirms its status as a capped-profit company governed by the non-profit OpenAI organization.
OpenAI and Microsoft – what will they work on?
Azure: The exclusive cloud provider for OpenAI
Microsoft will increase its investments in the development of the Azure cloud platform. Previous advancements have enabled Azure to support supercomputing systems used for training AI models with high efficiency. Now, Azure will become the exclusive cloud provider for all OpenAI operations, particularly for model training.
Bringing technology to a broader audience
Microsoft aims to facilitate the practical implementation of OpenAI’s technologies by making them accessible to a wider audience and integrating them into tools that support developers and users in their daily work. Currently, the Azure OpenAI Service allows developers to leverage models like GPT, DALL·E, and Codex. OpenAI’s technologies are already integrated into applications such as GitHub Copilot and Microsoft Designer.
AI technology safety
Building a safe and reliable AI infrastructure is a key focus of the strategic partnership between the two companies. Regular audits and reviews will provide actionable insights, helping to disseminate knowledge about research and best practices for AI use across the industry.
Microsoft gains intellectual property rights to OpenAI technologies
Microsoft reveals formal aspects of its collaboration with OpenAI
“Key elements of our partnership remain in place throughout the term of our agreement, which lasts until 2030. Our access to OpenAI’s intellectual property, our revenue-sharing arrangements, and our exclusivity over OpenAI APIs are being upheld. Specifically:
- Microsoft holds rights to OpenAI’s intellectual property (including models and infrastructure) for use in its products, such as Copilot. This ensures that our customers have access to the best model tailored to their needs.
- OpenAI APIs are exclusively available on the Azure platform, operate on Azure infrastructure, and are also accessible via the Azure OpenAI Service. Through this agreement, customers benefit from access to leading models on Microsoft platforms and directly from OpenAI.
- Microsoft and OpenAI have established mutually beneficial revenue-sharing agreements, allowing both companies to profit from the growing adoption of new and existing models.
- Microsoft remains the primary investor in OpenAI, providing funding and capabilities to support its advancements while benefiting from the increasing valuation of OpenAI.”
OpenAI and Microsoft collaboration – benefits
The collaboration between two global technology leaders may seem distant, yet its impact is tangible for businesses worldwide. As a Microsoft partner, we deliver systems powered by Azure and Copilot solutions, always available in the latest, regularly updated versions.
If you want to leverage these innovations in your business, reach out to us via the form below.
