WAM
28 Apr 2026, 01:41 GMT+10
WASHINGTON, 27th April, 2026 (WAM) -- Microsoft (MSFT) on Monday announced an amended long-term agreement with OpenAI (OPAI.PVT) that will see the company no longer have exclusive access to the AI startup's intellectual property and AI models, while also altering its revenue-sharing deal with OpenAI.
The news comes ahead of Microsoft's earnings report on Wednesday, and just six months after the two companies formalised an agreement that allowed OpenAI to transform into a for-profit business.
Under the terms of that deal, Microsoft was given exclusive access to OpenAI's IP and models until the company achieved artificial general intelligence (AGI), or AI that's as smart or smarter than humans. The new agreement, however, eliminates that clause, allowing OpenAI to provide its models to Microsoft's competitors.
Microsoft's Azure will continue to serve as OpenAI's primary cloud platform and get access to its latest products first, but the new agreement means OpenAI can now offer all of its services through competing cloud providers, such as Amazon Web Services.
Microsoft will no longer pay a revenue share to OpenAI, though OpenAI will have to continue making revenue-sharing payments to Microsoft through 2030.
Get a daily dose of Africa Leader news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Africa Leader.
More InformationJERUSALEM, Israel: Israel's president signaled that he was in no hurry to consider Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request for...
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Jailed former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has withdrawn his appeal against a court ruling denying...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Firing squads may soon become a permitted method of execution as the Trump administration moves to ramp up and expedite...
ZUYDCOOTE, France: A new multi-million-euro agreement was signed between the United Kingdom and France late last week, increasing police...
KATHMANDU, Nepal: A crevasse strewn with chunks of ice, including one towering block, has stranded hundreds of mountaineers at the...
JERUSALEM, Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu said on April 24 that he has received treatment for prostate cancer, sharing this news publicly...
ATHENS/ROME: Italy is set to become the euro zone's most indebted country this year, overtaking Greece as Athens continues to bring...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. State Department has directed diplomats worldwide to raise concerns with foreign governments over what it...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stock markets closed with a divided performance on Monday, as technology shares lifted the Nasdaq Composite...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. consumer confidence fell to its lowest level on record in April, as rising energy costs linked to the Iran war...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Goldman Sachs has agreed to settle a shareholder lawsuit accusing it of misleading investors over its role...
BEIJING, China: China has sharply criticized the European Union's decision to include Chinese companies in its latest sanctions against...
