OpenAI launches "doctoral" AI agents, with a monthly fee of $20,000 to target high-end enterprise demand

Recently, some media reported that OpenAI plans to launch an AI agent called "Doctoral Level", priced at US$20,000 per month (about RMB 145,000) to meet the high-end needs of corporate users in data-intensive industries such as finance, medical care and manufacturing. This AI agent can not only conduct complex academic research, but also deal with various difficulties in the field of software development, marking a new round of upgrades to artificial intelligence technology.

OpenAI's "doctoral" AI agent will offer up to three different types of services, each with monthly fees ranging from $2,000 to $20,000. Although this price is high, OpenAI believes that this pricing method will be set based on the economic value the product can create for customers, and no longer simply depends on the number of users or the number of tokens. In an interview, the company hopes to compensate for the huge investment it needs to develop AI systems in this way, especially in the face of increasingly competitive market environments.

Although the high subscription fees have sparked some netizens' jokes, and some even said they would rather hire a real doctor at this price, OpenAI obviously targets its customers at large enterprises and industry giants rather than individual users. This AI agent will allow businesses to pay a fixed fee per employee seat and charge based on the actual value the business receives from the product. This flexible charging model not only helps attract more corporate customers, but also lowers the threshold for using AI.

Unlike traditional chatbots, this "AI proxy" is designed to automate specific tasks with as little human intervention as possible. For example, when ordering a ticket, AI can automatically connect to the Internet to find flight information, select the best flight, and complete payment, which are far beyond the conversational AI that is currently common on the market.

Today, AI agents are attracting more and more attention from tech companies, and many companies are looking to make higher profits through this emerging market. Competitors such as Google have also launched related tools to try to gain the upper hand in this field. However, OpenAI's deputy founder said that while the widespread use of AI agents may improve enterprise efficiency, it may also lead to higher salaries for employees with unique skills, which is worth paying.