• D.C.
  • BXL
  • Lagos
  • Riyadh
  • Beijing
  • SG
  • D.C.
  • BXL
  • Lagos
Semafor Logo
  • Riyadh
  • Beijing
  • SG


Technology newsletter icon
From Semafor Technology
In your inbox, 2x per week
Sign up

OpenAI’s shift to consumer products signals new era for AI

Oct 1, 2025, 12:42pm EDT
PostEmailWhatsapp
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks to media following a Q&A at the OpenAI data center in Abilene, Texas.
Shelby Tauber/Pool/Reuters

As AI companies file into their respective niches in search of loyal audiences and more consistent revenue, OpenAI is revealing itself as an AI brand for consumers.

It is rolling out a standard for brands to integrate into ChatGPT, allowing consumers to make purchases directly from the app. The company is also launching a video generator app — following a similar announcement from Meta — to rival TikTok and YouTube. The tech world got a taste of where OpenAI was headed when it acqui-hired Jony Ive, the mind behind Apple’s product lineup. Once a standout in the AI space, the ChatGPT maker is increasingly looking like its big tech peers. The question now is whether OpenAI can balance its high-performing models with mass market appeal.

AD