OpenAI has officially entered the premium AI consulting arena by offering custom artificial intelligence services starting at $10 million, as reported by The Information.
“OpenAI has begun offering highly customised artificial intelligence (AI) services starting at $10 million, according to a report by The Information.”
Early clients include notable names like the US Department of Defense and Southeast Asia’s tech company Grab, indicating the company's intent to rival major consulting players such as Palantir and Accenture.
OpenAI is now delivering bespoke versions of its flagship GPT-4o model, specifically tailored to organizational needs.
“The Sam Altman-led company is reportedly rolling out tailored versions of its flagship GPT-4o model for enterprise and government clients, with forward-deployed engineers (FDEs) embedded directly in organisations to adapt the technology to specific use cases.”
These forward-deployed engineers (FDEs) collaborate on-site with client teams to:
Integrate GPT-4o with internal systems
Build tailored chatbots
Automate complex workflows
Deliver end-to-end AI solutions
This initiative marks a significant strategic expansion for OpenAI—from foundational model building to enterprise-grade consulting.
“Moving from foundational model development to enterprise-grade AI consulting, this initiative represents a significant expansion of OpenAI’s business strategy.”
“Pricing for these engagements begins at $10 million and can climb into the hundreds of millions for multi-year and complex projects.”
The scale of the projects underlines OpenAI’s long-term ambition to become a dominant AI solutions provider in both public and private sectors.
“The programme is being partially led by OpenAI researcher Aleksander Mądry, who is focused on refining large language models (LLMs) to meet individual client goals.”
Under his leadership, the team is refining LLMs to deliver extremely personalised experiences, ensuring optimal performance across unique domains.
According to insiders cited by The Information, OpenAI aims to deliver such high value that deals worth $1 billion or more may become standard in the near future.
“Insiders, as cited by The Information, suggest OpenAI is aiming to deliver such high value that contracts exceeding $1 billion could eventually become the norm.”
“As part of its expansion, OpenAI has hired at least a dozen FDEs this year, many with backgrounds at Palantir, a firm known for supplying AI capabilities to defence and intelligence agencies.”
To support this custom AI push, OpenAI has aggressively recruited talent from firms like Palantir, focusing on individuals with experience in defence and mission-critical deployments.
“Recent reports have stated that competitor Meta has poached at least eight people from OpenAI, with many others also having been approached.”
“OpenAI has responded by reassuring its teams that they will be rewarded, as well as claiming that they have retained their ‘best’ people.”
Meta, on the other hand, is ramping up its efforts through its ‘Superintelligence’ lab, which is heavily investing in AI talent and offering lucrative packages to industry leaders.
OpenAI’s foray into bespoke AI consulting marks a transformative moment in the company's growth, as it evolves from a developer of large language models to a high-end solution provider for enterprises and governments. With custom GPT-4o deployments and embedded forward-deployed engineers, the company is aiming to deeply integrate AI into critical operational workflows.
This strategic move not only brings OpenAI into direct competition with seasoned players like Palantir and Accenture but also opens the door for billion-dollar, long-term collaborations. Early adoption by key clients such as the US Department of Defense and Grab highlights the strong demand for personalised AI capabilities.
Despite recent challenges with talent loss to Meta, OpenAI remains committed to delivering top-tier innovation and has reassured stakeholders of its talent retention and technical excellence. As the AI consulting race heats up, OpenAI’s push toward multi-million and potentially billion-dollar contracts signals a new chapter in enterprise AI deployment.