🔍 Read the full analysis: OpenAI’s Google Ambitions: Business Profiles, Odessia And A Reported $10B Quarter on ThorstenMeyerAI.com
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TL;DR
OpenAI launched a beta for business profiles and AI agents in ChatGPT on Nov. 10, giving eligible companies tools to manage listings, product data and visibility insights. The same day, Odessia’s founder announced the travel startup’s acquisition by OpenAI, while media reports put OpenAI’s third-quarter revenue at about $10 billion and operating losses at $10.9 billion.
OpenAI launched a beta business platform in ChatGPT on Nov. 10, allowing companies to claim profiles, add product information and track certain interactions, as the company also acquired travel startup Odessia. Separate media reports put OpenAI’s third-quarter revenue at about $10 billion, while a Wall Street Journal report cited by Reuters put operating losses for the quarter at $10.9 billion.
The new offering, called Businesses in ChatGPT, has two parts: a Business Hub for company profiles and product feeds, and Business Agents that let eligible businesses answer shoppers’ questions in separate conversations. OpenAI’s announcement described the beta as a way to manage business information, see how a business appears in ChatGPT, and turn user interest into action. The rollout was reported by Reuters, The Verge and TechCrunch.
Companies that claim and verify a profile can update details and supply product feeds showing pricing and availability. The Hub offers aggregated data, including business mentions in ChatGPT responses, profile views, website clicks and topics associated with discovery. OpenAI has not publicly detailed every verification step. Its vice president of monetization, Benji Shomair, told journalists the company uses “multiple verification methods” for different business types and markets.
Business Agents are initially available to eligible U.S. e-commerce and online service businesses. A user who encounters a business in a ChatGPT answer can open a separate, labeled conversation with its agent, which is guided by instructions and information supplied by that company. OpenAI says it does not share users’ conversations or Business Agent chats with businesses. It says business insights are shown only after activity reaches set thresholds. Businesses can sponsor their agent as a destination for ChatGPT Ads; sponsored placements are labeled.
Odessia founder Francis Davidson announced the acquisition and said he is joining OpenAI. The terms were not disclosed. An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed Davidson’s hiring to TechCrunch. Separately, The Information reported that OpenAI revenue reached about $10 billion in the third quarter, and Bloomberg reported growth of nearly 50% from the prior quarter, citing a person familiar with the matter. OpenAI has not published financial statements. The Wall Street Journal, as reported by Reuters, put quarterly operating losses at $10.9 billion.
OpenAI’s business bet meets a costly quarter
OpenAI is building business discovery and agent conversations into ChatGPT, while reports point to strong revenue and larger operating losses.
A new business channel
The Nov. 10 beta connects business information with product discovery and conversations in ChatGPT.
Profiles and product feeds
Eligible companies can manage business details, pricing and availability, and view aggregated discovery insights.
Questions go to the business
Eligible businesses can answer shoppers in separate, labeled conversations guided by company-provided information.
How discovery can turn into action
Businesses can supply details, meet shoppers in ChatGPT and potentially sponsor an agent as an ad destination.
Companies claim a profile and provide business and product information.
ChatGPT responses may surface businesses and products to users.
Users can open an agent chat; sponsored destinations are labeled.
A beta with open questions
Businesses and users should treat the tools as an early rollout with limits still being clarified.
- Agents for eligible U.S. e-commerce and online service businesses
- Aggregated visibility insights after activity reaches set thresholds
- Separate agent conversations; OpenAI says chats are not shared with businesses
- Detailed verification and feed-checking processes
- Insight thresholds and how businesses are selected in answers
- Expansion timing and handling of inaccurate agent responses
Beyond the business launch
The same day, Odessia’s founder announced the travel startup’s acquisition by OpenAI and said he would join the company.
ChatGPT Becomes a Business Discovery Channel
The launch gives businesses a way to supply structured, current information to ChatGPT and measure some of the attention they receive there. For shops, service providers and online sellers, the profile may become another place to maintain business details, alongside established search and social platforms. Product prices and availability matter directly to customers, so inaccurate feeds could leave users with misleading information as well as reduce a business’s usefulness in ChatGPT answers.
The platform also creates a possible paid route from discovery to a business conversation. Companies can sponsor agents as destinations for ads, while users can ask those agents questions about products and services. That means the distinction between an ordinary recommendation, a paid placement and a business-authored response will matter to user trust. OpenAI says sponsored placements are labeled and agent conversations are separate, but the company has not disclosed all operating details.
The reported financial figures add a different dimension. Revenue of about $10 billion for the quarter, if accurate, would indicate substantial commercial scale, but the reported $10.9 billion in operating losses shows that revenue alone does not describe profitability. The figures are media reports, not audited results published by OpenAI.
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From Shopping Tests to Business Profiles
OpenAI’s move follows an earlier attempt to make ChatGPT a direct shopping destination. TechCrunch reported that the company had tested shopping with direct checkout and a commission model, then retired that effort in March after it did not gain traction. The new beta instead centers on business information, product feeds and conversations, rather than presenting direct checkout as its core feature.
OpenAI has also been building an advertising business. The company said in August that ChatGPT Ads had reached a $1 billion annualized revenue run rate. The new option for businesses to sponsor an agent links that advertising effort to the business profile tools, though OpenAI has not shared further details about the scale or performance of the new placements.
OpenAI’s announcement called the launch “an early step” and said it was starting with accurate information, useful insights and conversations intended to help people make informed decisions. The announcement and reports describe a beta, not a fully established replacement for existing search or business-listing services.
Verification, Reach and Financial Detail
Several parts of the launch remain unsettled. OpenAI has not explained in detail how businesses will be verified, how often profiles and product feeds will be checked, or how the company determines which businesses appear in ChatGPT answers. The company also has not disclosed the activity thresholds for Business Hub insights, limiting what users can infer from missing or incomplete data.
The agents are restricted at launch to eligible U.S. e-commerce and online service businesses; OpenAI has not announced a broader geographic rollout or a schedule for other categories. It is also unclear how the company will handle inaccurate business-supplied answers, disputes between profile owners, or changes in an agent’s instructions.
Odessia’s acquisition price and other terms have not been disclosed. OpenAI has not released financial statements confirming the reported third-quarter figures. The revenue and loss numbers come from media reports, and the cited sources do not provide a full breakdown of what drove the quarter’s revenue or operating costs.
Watch the Beta and Business Rollout
The immediate next step is for eligible companies to claim profiles through Business Hub or, for Shopify merchants, connect stores through Business Hub or Shopify’s admin. Existing OpenAI Enterprise customers and advertisers can claim businesses through their OpenAI representative, according to the source reporting. Businesses will need to review whether their details and product feeds are accurate and whether they meet the launch criteria for agents.
OpenAI has not announced dates for expansion beyond the initial eligibility rules. Further information to watch for includes more detail on verification, the scope of available insights, the handling of sponsored agents and any changes to the beta. The company’s financial picture will also remain incomplete until it publishes more formal results or provides additional disclosures.
Key Questions
What did OpenAI launch in ChatGPT?
OpenAI launched a beta called Businesses in ChatGPT. It includes a Business Hub for profiles, product feeds and aggregated visibility data, plus Business Agents that can answer questions about participating companies’ offerings.
Which businesses can use Business Agents?
At launch, the agents are limited to eligible e-commerce and online service businesses in the United States. OpenAI has not announced when access may expand to other regions or business types.
Did OpenAI acquire Odessia?
Odessia founder Francis Davidson announced that OpenAI acquired the AI travel agent startup and that he is joining OpenAI. The acquisition terms were not disclosed; an OpenAI spokesperson confirmed Davidson’s hiring to TechCrunch.
Did OpenAI confirm $10 billion in third-quarter revenue?
No. The Information reported revenue of about $10 billion in the third quarter, and Bloomberg reported nearly 50% growth over the prior quarter, citing a person familiar with the matter. OpenAI has not published financial statements confirming those figures.
How much did OpenAI reportedly lose in the quarter?
The Wall Street Journal reported, as cited by Reuters, that OpenAI’s operating losses widened to $10.9 billion in the same quarter. That figure is also a media report, not a number in financial statements published by OpenAI.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
