Apple, Nvidia in talks to join OpenAI funding round
Technology
ChatGPT now has more than 200 million weekly active users
(Reuters) - Apple and chip giant Nvidia are reportedly in talks to invest in OpenAI as part of a new fundraising round that could value the ChatGPT maker above $100 billion, according to media reports on Thursday.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on Apple's interest, citing sources, while Bloomberg News reported on Nvidia's potential involvement.
The news comes a day after the Journal reported that venture capital firm Thrive Capital would invest around $1 billion in OpenAI, leading the funding round.
Apple and OpenAI not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment, while Thrive Capital, Nvidia and Microsoft declined comment.
OpenAI has become increasingly important to Apple's artificial intelligence strategy, with the iPhone maker bringing the AI firm's chatbot, ChatGPT, to Apple devices in June as part of "Apple Intelligence."
Apple was also reported to gain an observer role on OpenAI's board.
Microsoft, OpenAI's largest strategic investor with over $10 billion invested, is also expected to participate in the funding round, according to the WSJ report.
The exact investment amounts from Apple, Microsoft and Nvidia remain undisclosed.
OpenAI's high valuation is a result of the AI arms race it sparked with the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, prompting companies across industries to invest billions in the technology to stay ahead of the competition and capture market share.
The Sam Altman-led firm was reportedly valued at $80 billion in February after completing a deal where the company would sell existing shares in a so-called tender offer led by Thrive Capital.
ChatGPT's weekly users grown to 200 million
OpenAI said on Thursday its chatbot ChatGPT now has more than 200 million weekly active users, double the number it had in the last fall season.
ChatGPT, launched in 2022, can generate human-like responses based on user prompts and had 100 million weekly active users, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had said in November.
OpenAI said 92% of Fortune 500 companies are using its products and the use of its automated Application Programming Interface, or API, which allows software programs to talk to each other, has doubled since the launch of ChatGPT-4o mini in July.
GPT-4o mini is a cost-efficient small AI model, aimed at making its technology more affordable and less energy-intensive, allowing the startup to target a broader pool of customers.
ChatGPT has driven AI's popularity and fueled a meteoric rise in the valuation of the San Francisco-based OpenAI.
Separately, AI startups OpenAI and Anthropic signed deals with the U.S. government for research, testing and evaluation of their artificial intelligence models, the U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute said earlier in the day.
