OpenAI is exploring ways to shift its business model toward enterprise AI, with possibly introducing new AI agents priced as high as $20,000 per month, according to The Information.
The premium AI tools, described internally as “PhD-level research agents”, would be designed to handle advanced research, automate decision-making processes, and integrate deeply into corporate workflows.
OpenAI is facing increased competition and growing financial pressures. Its ChatGPT Pro subscription, which launched in December 2024 at $200 per month, has been financially unsustainable so far. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged in January 2025 that the plan was operating at a loss.
Meanwhile, competitors like Anthropic’s new Claude 3.7 Sonnet reasoning model and Grok 3 from Elon Musk’s xAI, have achieved to surpass OpenAI’s leading models in important benchmarks.
OpenAI’s AI Agents Expand Beyond Traditional Chatbots
OpenAI’s premium AI agents would continue a move into automation, following the January 2025 launch of “Operator”, an feature designed to complete online tasks such as form-filling and scheduling.
Operator is powered by OpenAI’s Computer-Using Agent (CUA) technology, which enabled it to visually interpret and interact with web pages much like a human user.
Reports indicate that the rumored OpenAI premium research agents could be offered in three pricing tiers—$2,000, $10,000, and $20,000 per month—suggesting varying levels of AI complexity and capabilities.
While full details on these AI systems have not been publicly disclosed, they are expected to focus on enterprise automation, large-scale research, and high-end business applications.
Legal and Financial Developments Reshape OpenAI’s Strategy
The report about such premium AI agents comes after a series of major corporate shifts. A U.S. judge recently dismissed Elon Musk’s lawsuit that attempted to block OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit model.
Musk argued that the company had abandoned its nonprofit origins, but OpenAI leadership maintained that restructuring as a public benefit corporation (PBC) was essential for securing continued funding.
One month before the ruling, OpenAI secured a $40 billion investment from SoftBank, aimed at accelerating OpenAI’s Stargate Project, an initiative focused on expanding AI-specific supercomputing infrastructure.
With this funding, OpenAI is strengthening its ability to scale its high-compute AI services, including its new AI agents.
