OpenAI launches long-awaited ChatGPT for Enterprise — but is it playing catch-up?

Today OpenAI announced the launch of ChatGPT Enterprise, a platform that it hopes will entice large business users to invest in its growing software ecosystem. It is a long-awaited milestone that the company has been teasing since it launched ChatGPT last November — but is OpenAI now playing catch-up when it comes to bringing generative AI to the enterprise?

After all, not only are many other companies targeting the same enterprise business audience with generative AI — Cohere offers bespoke Large Language Model (LLM) options for the enterprise; Anthropic partnered with Scale AI to target the enterprise; and even Microsoft Azure has its own OpenAI service — but open source players are in the mix as well. Meta’s LLaMA 2, for instance, is available for commercial use.

Still, as the first massively popular LLM interface geared toward consumers with 100 million monthly users at one point, OpenAI’s ChatGPT has already entered the pop culture lexicon (it was recently mentioned disparagingly at the U.S. Republican presidential debates). A new enterprise option may convince companies that were holding out for a product from arguably the most recognizable name in generative AI so far.

Enterprise-grade generative AI

The company says ChatGPT for Enterprise focuses on “enterprise-grade security,” unlimited access to GPT-4, extended context windows, advanced data analysis capabilities and customization options.

Savvy enterprise technology leaders such as CTOs and heads of IT will be concerned about the security ramifications of ChatGPT for Enterprise. However, OpenAI offers two features to assuage doubts: “Customer prompts or data are not used for training models,” the company states.

It also offers “data encryption at rest (AES-256) and in transit (TLS 1.2+),” and OpenAI says ChatGPT for Enterprise “has been audited and certified for SOC 2 Type 1 compliance (Type 2 coming soon).” As for data retention, OpenAI explains that “ChatGPT Enterprise securely retains data to enable features like conversation history. You control how long your data is retained. Any deleted conversations are removed from our systems within 30 days.”

In a blog post outlining the new service offerings, OpenAI introduces several features of ChatGPT Enterprise that elevate its capabilities beyond the standard version. Users gain unlimited access to the faster GPT-4, enabling seamless and efficient interactions. The increased context window of 32k tokens allows for processing longer inputs and files, enhancing versatility. 

Advanced data analysis, previously known as Code Interpreter, empowers both technical and non-technical teams to analyze information in seconds.

Additionally, shared chat templates enable collaborative workflows — with multiple team members able to engage in a single ChatGPT session — while free credits for OpenAI’s API offer customization options for organizations seeking a fully tailored LLM solution.

How much does it cost? OpenAI hasn’t specified, only sending VentureBeat the following email via a spokesperson: “It will depend on each company’s use case. Those interested should reach out to us for more information.”

Customization and more features planned

In its blog post, OpenAI said it “remains committed” to continuous improvement and expansion of ChatGPT Enterprise. It says long-term plans include upcoming features such as secure customization with company data integration, a self-serve ChatGPT Business offering for smaller teams and enhanced power tools for advanced data analysis and browsing. 

OpenAI said it aims to cater to specific roles within organizations, such as data analysts, marketers and customer support, by providing targeted solutions.

Enterprise companies moving deliberately to adopt gen AI

Enterprise companies are moving slowly and deliberately to adopt generative AI if they have even started at all — whether because of concerns around enterprise data security and AI “hallucinations” or a lack of the necessary technology, talent and governance to implement generative AI successfully.

There’s certainly no doubt that executives want to access the power of generative AI. However, according to a recent KPMG study of U.S. executives, a solid majority (60%) of respondents said that while they expect generative AI to have an enormous long-term impact, they are still a year or two away from implementing their first solution.

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