OpenAI is entering a new phase of its growth, investing billions of dollars to shape what it calls the next era of the web. The company, once known primarily as a research lab, has transformed into one of the most influential players in global technology. Since launching ChatGPT in late 2022, OpenAI has become the face of the artificial intelligence revolution, redefining how people interact with software and information online.

At its developer conference on Monday, OpenAI outlined plans to evolve ChatGPT into a full-scale platform, allowing users to shop, learn, and manage everyday tasks without leaving the app. This shift reflects the company’s ambition to position ChatGPT at the center of online activity—similar to how Google, Amazon, and Meta once shaped search, commerce, and social media.

Building the Infrastructure for an AI Future

OpenAI is backing its digital ambitions with massive investments in physical infrastructure. The company announced a new initiative to add 6 gigawatts of data-center capacity powered by AMD chips, following earlier agreements with Nvidia and Oracle. These massive facilities will provide the computing power needed to train and run next-generation AI models at scale.

OpenAI President Greg Brockman emphasized the urgency of expanding compute resources, noting, “We need as much computing power as we can get.” Earlier this year, OpenAI partnered with Oracle and SoftBank to establish Stargate, a U.S.-based infrastructure initiative expected to exceed $500 billion in total investment. The project’s first data center, spanning over one million square feet, is under construction in Abilene, Texas, with more sites planned across Texas, New Mexico, and the Midwest.

Expanding Partnerships and Global Reach

To diversify its infrastructure base, OpenAI is also collaborating with major chipmakers. The company recently committed to purchasing enough Nvidia AI chips to support 10 gigawatts of capacity in exchange for a $100 billion investment, while simultaneously deepening its relationship with AMD to reduce dependency on a single supplier. Additional partnerships are extending OpenAI’s reach abroad, including projects in the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.

Analysts describe these moves as critical to maintaining competitiveness with Microsoft, Google, and Meta, companies that already operate vast ecosystems linking AI with productivity, search, and social platforms. As Columbia Business School’s Daniel Keum noted, “It’s not ChatGPT versus Copilot—it’s ChatGPT versus the Microsoft bundle.”

Turning ChatGPT Into a Platform

ChatGPT has grown far beyond its original role as a conversational AI tool. With over 800 million weekly active users, it now integrates directly with popular services such as Spotify and Zillow. Recent updates introduced features such as Instant Checkout for in-app shopping, Study Mode for personalized learning, and Sora 2, a new app offering short-form AI-generated videos designed to compete with TikTok and Instagram Reels.

The company’s expansion even extends into hardware. OpenAI is developing a new AI-driven device in collaboration with former Apple design chief Jony Ive. While details remain limited, the project signals an effort to challenge smartphones as the primary personal technology device, mirroring how Apple once redefined mobile computing.

A Model Inspired by Big Tech

OpenAI’s trajectory recalls the evolution of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, which expanded from search into nearly every sector of the internet. Industry analysts, such as Arthur D. Little’s Thomas Thiele, suggest OpenAI aims for a similarly broad presence. “Google became a company with an inevitable footprint across the web,” Thiele explained. “OpenAI is pursuing a comparable scale of influence in the AI era.”

However, OpenAI’s growth comes with major challenges. The company reported an operating loss of $7.8 billion in the first half of 2025 and is not yet profitable. To sustain its momentum, it must continually secure new revenue streams capable of funding both research and infrastructure. Investors remain optimistic that the strategy, spend heavily now, monetize later, will follow the same playbook that turned earlier tech startups into global giants.

The Long Game

For OpenAI, the ultimate goal is to make ChatGPT a foundational layer of daily digital life, a system people use to learn, create, and transact without switching apps or platforms. By building vast computing infrastructure and expanding global access, the company hopes to position itself as the operating core of the AI-driven internet.

“AI revenue is growing faster than almost any product in history,” Brockman said in a recent interview. “At the end of the day, all of this computing power will pay off, because the demand and the value will follow.”