In the fierce competition in the field of artificial intelligence, even the industry leader OpenAI is facing severe business challenges. The company’s CEO Sam Altman recently admitted that its high-end service ChatGPT Pro, which costs $200 per month, is operating at a loss. This unexpected situation highlights the difficulties faced by the AI ​​industry in exploring business models.

"Users are using it much more frequently than we expected," Altman said on Social Platform X. This price strategy, formulated by him personally, was originally thought to bring considerable profits to the company, but the reality gave the company a heavy blow. According to CNBC, OpenAI expects to post a $5 billion loss in 2024, with revenue of just $3.7 billion.

In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Altman admitted that the company's pricing strategy appears to be quite primitive. In fact, ChatGPT’s initial pricing decisions were purely based on gut feeling, and the paid service was hastily launched without any market research.

Facing operating pressure, OpenAI is considering adjusting its business model. "Many customers want a pay-per-use approach," Altman said, "because their usage needs fluctuate widely, from a few dollars a month to thousands of dollars." Especially as companies roll out more powerful "o "Series model, the reform of this pricing mechanism becomes increasingly urgent. However, he made it clear that he would not adopt a time-based charging model, believing that it was an outdated approach similar to the AOL era.

To address financial challenges, OpenAI has begun taking action. The company announced its reorganization plan on January 2 and plans to transform the existing for-profit division into a Delaware public benefit corporation (PBC) to seek a balance between commercial interests and social benefits. This structural adjustment has triggered attention and discussion among industry insiders, including Elon Musk.

Despite its operating difficulties, OpenAI has not given up on its ambitions. Altman emphasized that developing artificial general intelligence (AGI) and superintelligence (ASI) remains the company's ultimate goal. He predicts that within the next four years, AI may reach a level where it can replace highly skilled human workers. In order to ensure the independence of R&D work, the company deliberately locates the research team in an independent building outside the headquarters.

However, as technology advances, the definition of AGI itself continues to evolve. OpenAI has begun to use specific development stages to measure AI progress, and has established a triple safety supervision mechanism to manage technology development risks. However, Altman said the current regulatory structure is too complex and the company is working to simplify it.

In the increasingly competitive AI market, OpenAI’s operating woes highlight a common challenge facing the entire industry: how to achieve a sustainable business model while pursuing technological innovation. The answer to this question may determine the future development direction of the AI ​​industry.