OpenAI announced on Thursday that it now has over 1 million paying users across its business products, including ChatGPT Enterprise, Team, and Edu. This marks a significant increase from the 600,000 users reported in April, reflecting strong adoption driven by CEO Sam Altman’s push for corporate integration of ChatGPT’s advanced large language model.

The company's free tier remains highly popular, with hundreds of millions of users engaging with the chatbot monthly. Currently, ChatGPT Plus is available for $20 per month. However, OpenAI is considering higher-priced subscription tiers for future large language models, such as "Strawberry," which aims to enhance AI models’ research capabilities, and a new flagship model named Orion. Early discussions reportedly considered subscription prices up to $2,000 per month for these advanced models.

In addition to expanding its user base, OpenAI is working on "Strawberry," a project focused on improving AI performance through specialized post-training techniques. This involves refining base models with targeted adjustments after their initial training on general data.

The pricing discussions come amid speculation that major tech companies, including Apple and Nvidia, are exploring investment opportunities in OpenAI. Reports suggest that a new funding round could potentially value OpenAI at over $100 billion.

Last week, OpenAI reported that ChatGPT has surpassed 200 million weekly active users, doubling its user base since last fall. This growth underscores the increasing demand and integration of AI technologies in various sectors.