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OpenAI Pulls Back Consumer Experiments to Double Down on Revenue

The pullback signals a turn to steadier business sales under pressure from losses, lawsuits, rising competition.

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 11: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during the BlackRock Infrastructure Summit on March 11, 2026 in Washington, DC. The global investment management company held the summit consisting of leaders from government, business, and labor to address expanding U.S. infrastructure. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Overview

  • OpenAI has rolled back several consumer efforts, shutting the Sora video app, shelving an adult-content mode, scaling back Instant Checkout, and ending a $1 billion Disney licensing plan.
  • The company says it will shift resources to business tools and AI agents that automate work, supported by an updated Model Spec and a $110 billion investment plan.
  • OpenAI carries a private valuation near $840 billion, yet reports point to an $8 billion loss in 2025 and difficulty converting 900 million weekly users into reliable revenue.
  • Legal and safety pressure is mounting, with at least eight lawsuits alleging ChatGPT contributed to user harms and an internal wellbeing council opposing the erotica feature.
  • Rivals and infrastructure limits add strain as Anthropic reports fast revenue growth, Apple reportedly plans to let outside chatbots plug into Siri, and OpenAI relies on CoreWeave, Crusoe and Nvidia instead of building its own data centers.