Microsoft's exclusive status changes: OpenAI gets free choice of cloud service provider

The partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI has undergone a major change. With OpenAI announcing the signing of Stargate agreements with SoftBank, Oracle and other companies, Microsoft is no longer OpenAI’s exclusive data center infrastructure provider. According to the latest agreement, Microsoft has obtained the "right of first refusal" for OpenAI's new cloud computing capacity, which means that when Microsoft cannot meet demand, OpenAI can seek support from other cloud service providers.

Microsoft confirmed the change in a blog post, saying OpenAI has made a new and important commitment to Azure and will continue to support its products and training needs. At the same time, Microsoft also approved OpenAI’s permission to independently build additional computing capabilities, mainly for model research and training.

This shift stems from the shortage of computing resources faced by OpenAI. The company has previously blamed product launch delays on insufficient computing power, an issue that has reportedly become a source of tension between it and major investor Microsoft. Under pressure from shareholders, Microsoft allowed OpenAI to cooperate with Oracle in June this year to increase computing resources.

Nonetheless, Microsoft emphasized that the core partnership between the two parties will last until 2030, including access to OpenAI intellectual property, revenue sharing arrangements, and exclusivity on the OpenAI API. It is worth noting that this agreement comes with a condition: if OpenAI implements general artificial intelligence (AGI) that can generate $100 billion in profits before then, Microsoft will lose the right to use its technology. According to reports, OpenAI is considering canceling this clause to obtain more financial support from Microsoft.

Microsoft specifically emphasized that the OpenAI API will continue to run exclusively on the Azure platform, and customers can gain access to leading models through the Azure OpenAI service or directly from OpenAI.