OpenAI is negotiating financing, with a valuation of more than $100 billion | Real Time Headlines

OpenAI is negotiating a round of financing that would value the artificial intelligence startup at more than $100 billion, CNBC has learned.

Thrive Capital is the lead investor in this round and will invest $1 billion, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified because the details are confidential.

Earlier this year, OpenAI’s valuation reportedly increased to $80 billion, up from $29 billion last year. Annualized revenue was reported to have exceeded $2 billion earlier this year. The company began growing in late 2022 after launching the ChatGPT chatbot, and has continued to launch products for enterprises and expanded into artificial intelligence-generated photos and videos.

The Wall Street Journal is first report During the meeting, he expressed MicrosoftOpenAI’s largest backer also participated in the round. Microsoft declined to comment.

The message is as follows Open artificial intelligenceannounced last week that Debut of prototype its search engine, called Search GPTwhich aims to provide users with “quick, timely answers with clear and relevant sources.”

The company said it eventually plans to integrate the tool into its ChatGPT chatbot, which it is currently testing with a small group of users.

The rollout could have ramifications for Google and its dominant search engine. Since the launch of ChatGPT, letter Investors have been concerned that OpenAI could steal search market share from Google by providing new ways for consumers to search for information online.

With this prototype, OpenAI is testing doing just that, promising users “a more natural, intuitive way to search” and ask follow-up questions “just like in a conversation.”

“We believe there is room for better search than today,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wrote in a note Thursday. postal On social media site X.

An OpenAI spokesman declined to comment.

—CNBC’s Jordan Novet contributed to this report.