Just yesterday, Microsoft announced a tighter partnership with Anthtropic, which is another turning point in the partnership that defined the AI era: Microsoft-OpenAI.
Indeed, suppose we can identify a turning point for the AI industry, at least from a business perspective, which marked the beginning of the AI race. In that case, it is the partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI.
So tracking the way this partnership moved to a marriage. Coopetition, competition, and now rivalry are also a window into how the AI industry has evolved and is evolving moving forward.
The relationship between Microsoft and OpenAI represents one of the most dramatic transformations in modern technology history. What began as a strategic partnership designed to democratize artificial intelligence has evolved into a complex dance of cooperation and competition that will define the future of AI for decades to come.
In July 2019, when Microsoft wrote its first billion-dollar check to OpenAI, the partnership seemed straightforward: Microsoft would provide the computing infrastructure and capital, while OpenAI would deliver breakthrough AI models.
Today, that simplicity has given way to a labyrinthine arrangement where both companies simultaneously collaborate and compete, each hedging against the other while maintaining a partnership that neither can afford to abandon.
