What is OpenAI?
Quick answer
OpenAI is the American AI company that makes ChatGPT, the GPT family of language models and the OpenAI API that developers and automation tools use. It started as a research lab in 2015 and is now one of the largest makers of frontier AI models.
Last updated
Updated · By Robert Breen
Why it matters for a small business
For most offices, OpenAI matters because of ChatGPT, the assistant many people try first. As of October 2026, OpenAI's pricing page lists ChatGPT Free, Go at $8 a month (OpenAI notes this plan may include ads), Plus at $20 a month, Pro from $100 a month, Business at $25 per user a month or $20 billed annually with at least two users, and Enterprise at custom pricing. A ChatGPT plan covers the app only. Automations that call OpenAI's models through the OpenAI API are billed separately by usage, which is token pricing.
Who it suits: anyone who wants one general assistant for writing, summarizing, images and research in its own app, whatever email system the office uses. Its data stance depends on the plan. On personal plans, OpenAI's help center says chats can be used to improve its models unless you turn off Improve the model for everyone under Settings › Data controls, and Temporary Chats are not used for training. For Business, Enterprise and the API, OpenAI says it does not train on your data by default. The ChatGPT data controls entry shows where those settings live.
In a real lesson: n8n AI Agent Tutorial: Save Social Media Ideas to Google Sheets
The AI Social Media Idea Agent lesson shows both sides of OpenAI. The agent you build for BrightPath Marketing, a made-up agency, needs a model to think with, so you go to platform.openai.com, which the lesson calls "the developer side, not ChatGPT," and click Add to credit balance before you create a key.
Back in n8n you add the OpenAI Chat Model, paste the key into a new credential and pick gpt-5-mini. The narration explains the choice plainly: fast, cheap and plenty for social media ideas, so "Do not reach for the expensive model until you have a reason." The same company, the same models, but a different bill from a ChatGPT subscription.
Try this lesson free or read the step-by-step guide.
Common confusions
OpenAI vs ChatGPT
OpenAI is the company. ChatGPT is its chat app. The models inside ChatGPT are the GPT models, and they also power other products through the API.
OpenAI vs Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft is a major OpenAI partner and Microsoft Copilot uses OpenAI models among others, but Copilot is Microsoft's product, with Microsoft's plans and data terms.
Tips
- Try the Free plan with a real work task before you pay for anything.
- Check the data controls on a personal account before you paste work material.
- For a team, compare ChatGPT Business with what your Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace plan already includes.
Related terms
More AI assistants terms
Where you use it: free lessons
- Reply Faster: Turn a Messy Customer Email Thread into a Clear, Friendly Reply (ChatGPT, 9 min)
- Prompt Writing 101: Role, Context, Task, Format (ChatGPT, 8 min)
- n8n AI Agent Tutorial: Save Social Media Ideas to Google Sheets (n8n, 12 min)
- Lovable + n8n: Build a Web App with an AI Backend (Lovable and n8n, 15 min)
Watch it in a free lesson: Gmail AI Triage: Auto-Label Every Email and Draft Replies
2:31Gmail AI Triage: Auto-Label Every Email and Draft Replies: video walkthrough
Build an n8n workflow that reads each new email, sorts it as a lead, a client or an invoice with a Text Classifier, adds the matching Gmail label, and drafts a reply to clients for you to check. The whole lesson narrated step by step, recorded in Stepthrough’s simulated practice environment.
More free tutorials
Frequently asked questions
- Who owns OpenAI?
- OpenAI is run by a nonprofit foundation that controls a for-profit company, with Microsoft and other investors holding stakes. Its structure has changed more than once, so check OpenAI's own site for the current details.
- How do I try OpenAI's models?
- Open chatgpt.com or the ChatGPT app and sign up for the Free plan. If you want to use the models inside an automation, create an account on platform.openai.com instead, add a small credit balance and make an API key.
- Does OpenAI use my chats to train its models?
- On Free, Go, Plus and Pro, it can unless you switch off Improve the model for everyone in Data controls, as of October 2026. OpenAI says Business, Enterprise and API data are not used for training by default.