Accounting giant PwC has recently signed an agreement with OpenAI to become the artificial intelligence company's first resale partner and largest enterprise user.
Announced on Wednesday, May 29, this partnership will see PwC offering ChatGPT Enterprise to both its employees and clients, integrating advanced generative AI into business operations.
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PwC, one of the world's leading professional services networks, will distribute OpenAI's ChatGPT Enterprise to 100,000 employees across its U.S., U.K., and Middle Eastern offices, TechCrunch reports.
This rollout comes as part of a broader initiative by PwC to enhance its technological ecosystem and scale AI capabilities across its business services, the company said in a recent blog post.
OpenAI launched the enterprise tier of ChatGPT in August 2023. This version of the generative AI tool is designed specifically for business use, offering faster interactions, custom model building, enhanced analytics, and additional tools.
OpenAI says that in just 9 months since ChatGPT launched, over 80% of Fortune 500 companies have started using it. Some of the early users of the ChatGPT Enterprise version include major companies like Block, Canva, Carlyle, Estée Lauder, PwC, and Zapier.
In addition, last year PwC's Global Tax and Legal Services teamed up with OpenAI and Harvey to train and use foundation models for services related to tax, legal matters, and human resources.
This partnership represents the first resale model for OpenAI's enterprise offerings.
Visitor look at their phone next to an Open AI's logo during the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the telecom industry's biggest annual gathering, in Barcelona on February 26, 2024. The world's biggest mobile phone fair throws open its doors in Barcelona with the sector looking to artificial intelligence to try and reverse declining sales. Photo by PAU BARRENA/AFP via Getty Images
A Closer Look
Richard Hasslacher, OpenAI's global head of alliances and partnerships, emphasized the strategic value of this partnership: "PwC is the first partner that we are leaning into in this way. PwC becomes our largest customer, but they're also our first partner who's going to be reselling ChatGPT enterprise."
PwC has already been integrating generative AI into its operations, building custom tools around the technology. By transitioning to ChatGPT Enterprise, PwC aims to focus more on outcomes, workflow, and business process transformation, rather than merely assembling APIs for employee experiences.
What's Next?
By adopting and reselling ChatGPT Enterprise, PwC can enhance its service offerings in audit, tax, and consulting, providing clients with advanced AI solutions. This move aligns with PwC's broader push into AI, including a planned $1 billion investment over three years to expand and scale its AI capabilities.
One of the critical questions around generative AI has been its long-term viability and real-world application. Bret Greenstein, PwC's partner and generative AI leader, pointed out that while it is challenging to quantify daily usage, engagement with PwC's internal training tools for AI has been high, with a 90% engagement rate. This suggests strong internal adoption and the potential for a significant impact on client services.
Financial details of the agreement have not been disclosed, and the exact pricing for ChatGPT Enterprise remains unspecified. However, estimates suggest a substantial cost, potentially around $60 per seat per month, indicating a significant investment by PwC.
OpenAI, facing high operational costs due to the computing demands of its generative AI products, is increasingly looking to enterprise sales and premium subscriptions as revenue streams.
