In a strategic move, SoftBank announced plans in February 2025 to invest $40 billion in OpenAI, valuing the company at $260 billion, with part of the funding aimed at supporting the Stargate joint venture with Oracle.

In a notable development, OpenAI has rolled out native image generation capabilities within ChatGPT, making this feature available to various user tiers including PLUS, Pro, Team, and free users utilizing the 4o model.

However, OpenAI is facing intensified competition in the generative AI space from emerging startups like Anthropic and Perplexity, as well as established tech giants such as Google and Microsoft.

Looking ahead, OpenAI anticipates a significant revenue increase to $12.7 billion in 2025, indicating a threefold growth, as confirmed by CNBC.

Recent organizational changes at OpenAI have seen CEO Sam Altman shift his focus from daily operations to research and product development, while COO Brad Lightcap will now oversee business operations.

Microsoft, OpenAI's principal investor, has reported an impressive $13 billion in annual recurring revenue for its fourth quarter, reflecting a remarkable 175% increase from the previous year.

This revenue projection was initially reported by Bloomberg, which cited an anonymous source due to the private nature of the information.