OpenAI has revised its projected revenue for 2026 to $50 billion, approximately $20 billion below the $70 billion figure previously communicated to investors, according to a report by The Guardian. The revision comes as investors assess the pace of revenue growth across the artificial intelligence industry amid substantial investments in AI infrastructure.
The ChatGPT developer's latest projection is based on sales recorded through the end of September. The earlier $70 billion estimate had reportedly been shared with investors in September, making the revised figure approximately 29% lower than the previous projection.
The difference has emerged partly from how AI companies calculate and report projected revenue. According to the report, investors have been seeking a more consistent basis for comparing OpenAI's financial performance with that of rival Anthropic, the developer of Claude.
Anthropic includes revenue generated through cloud distribution partners such as Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud in its reported figures, while OpenAI excludes comparable partner-generated revenue from its calculations.
The difference in accounting approaches makes direct comparisons between the two companies more complicated, particularly as enterprise adoption of AI products continues to expand through cloud platforms and third-party distribution channels.
Anthropic reportedly reached $65 billion in projected revenue by the end of July, placing its financial performance under closer scrutiny alongside OpenAI's revised expectations.
The development also coincided with declines in US technology stocks. The Nasdaq closed 1.4% lower on Thursday, while Nvidia shares fell 2.9%, Oracle declined 5.5% and Micron dropped 4.8%.
The market movements came as investors continued to evaluate the relationship between AI-related capital expenditure, demand for computing infrastructure and revenue generated by commercial AI applications.
Meanwhile, OpenAI is reportedly in preliminary discussions to raise approximately $30 billion in a new funding round that could value the company at around $1.4 trillion.
The company previously completed a $122 billion funding round in March 2026 at a valuation of $852 billion, reflecting continued investor interest in AI model development and infrastructure expansion.
Anthropic has also attracted substantial funding, announcing a $65 billion investment round two months later that valued the company at $965 billion. The Claude developer is reportedly considering an initial public offering as early as November.
OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman said in September that the company would not pursue a public listing in 2026, citing concerns related to AI safety.
Investment activity across the sector remains substantial. SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son is reportedly seeking up to $100 billion from Gulf investors to support the group's expanding AI investments.
The revised OpenAI projection highlights the importance of revenue reporting methods as investors compare competing AI businesses. It also places renewed attention on how quickly commercial demand is translating into reported revenue across the sector.
Disclaimer: The reported $20 billion difference is partly attributed to differences in revenue calculation methods. It should not be presented as a confirmed $20 billion decline in actual sales or a demonstrated slowdown in customer demand. The figures are projections rather than audited annual revenue.