OpenAI is extending its presence in the cloud sector by integrating its artificial intelligence (AI) models into the Google Cloud infrastructure, which increases the availability of its technologies for developers and corporations.
This new agreement establishes that the GPT-6 Astra, GPT-6.1 Sol, and GPT-6 Luna models will be available in the Google Cloud Model Garden catalog. This move marks another advancement by the creator of ChatGPT beyond the existing collaboration with Microsoft.
As announced this Wednesday (21), these models are being offered in preview phase to a specific group of enterprise clients. Furthermore, the integration will enable developers to use Google Cloud APIs and link local workflows, such as Codex CLI and Desktop, to the Gemini platform to perform inferences.
This partnership strengthens OpenAI's position among the largest cloud infrastructure providers. Previously, the company had signaled plans to place its models on Amazon Web Services (AWS) after the expiration of Microsoft's exclusivity period over its intellectual property.
Google Cloud will incorporate three OpenAI models into its Model Garden, a catalog that aggregates proprietary, third-party, and open-source offerings. The intention is to give companies the freedom to select the most appropriate technology for each need, considering metrics such as cost, performance, and response speed.
The released models are listed in the announcement. According to Google Cloud, the strategy aims to allow companies to switch between different models according to the requirement of each application, avoiding dependence on a single solution for all tasks. The catalog, which already contains over 200 models, will now offer access to the three main closed-source large language models on a single enterprise AI platform.
The collaboration also includes the commercial listing of OpenAI models on the Google Cloud Marketplace. This means that consumption will be unified in a single Google Cloud invoice, allowing expenses to be allocated to pre-existing cloud commitments or the platform's Flexible Savings Plans. The purpose is to simplify acquisition and allow companies to distribute their workloads across various models without the need for multiple contracts with different vendors.
Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, stated in a release that the company's goal is to provide a wide range of models so that customers can choose the best option for each activity, prioritizing quality and cost reduction. Greg Brockman, president and co-founder of OpenAI, emphasized the relevance of this partnership in making the company's more advanced models and Codex accessible in the environments where customers already develop their applications.
The announcement also detailed the security and governance safeguards applicable to running OpenAI models on Google Cloud infrastructure. The company guarantees that customer data, including prompts, contexts, and results, will remain within the designated data perimeter and will not be used to train foundational models. Zero Data Retention (ZDR) options are scheduled to be implemented in the future.
OpenAI models will run on dedicated Google Cloud infrastructure. Additionally, future availability of confidential computing resources is anticipated. Traffic will be managed by isolated and protected gateways, while authenticated identity mechanisms, audit logs, and network security controls will allow administrators to monitor interactions with the models and AI agents. These guarantees constitute the conditions established by Google Cloud for the enterprise use of third-party models on its infrastructure.
Although the models are already available in preview version for selected enterprise clients, other integrations are planned. In the coming weeks, OpenAI models are expected to be integrated into Google Antigravity, Google's programming tool, and Gemini for Enterprise, expanding the scope of work for developers and organizations.
OpenAI and Google already had a prior business relationship; last year, the creator of ChatGPT used Google Cloud infrastructure to operate ChatGPT and its API. This expansion of the partnership occurs at a time of growth in Google's cloud business. In the second quarter, the annualized revenue growth of the segment reached approximately 82%, compared to 63% in the first quarter. Meanwhile, AWS registered 37% growth, and Microsoft showed a 42% expansion in the same period. The growing demand for custom chips and AI models boosted Google Cloud.
Founded in 2015, OpenAI emerged partly as an alternative to the concentration of AI research in companies like Google. In 2017, researchers from the organization published an academic paper on the Transformer architecture, fundamental to the advancement of the technology. Subsequently, OpenAI popularized generative AI with the launch of ChatGPT. Currently, the company is seeking investment with a valuation of US$ 1.4 trillion (approximately R$ 7.56 trillion) and plans to conduct an Initial Public Offering (IPO).
With the arrival of the models on Google Cloud, OpenAI diversifies its technological distribution channels, reaching corporate clients through the three major cloud infrastructure platforms.