OpenAI is developing a new line of AI agents with premium pricing that could reshape the AI services market.
According to a report by The Information, based on information shared with investors, OpenAI will introduce AI agents in three tiers: Basic agents for "high-income knowledge workers" at $2,000 per month, developer agents at $10,000 per month, and Ph.D.-level research assistants at $20,000 per month.
The company positions these agents as direct replacements for highly-paid specialists. The basic agents would handle tasks like evaluating sales leads, while the developer agents would serve as coding assistants for experienced programmers. The top-tier agents would tackle complex scientific research questions.
OpenAI expects these agent products to generate between 20 and 25 percent of its total revenue. The company has already secured substantial financial backing, with Softbank committing $3 billion toward OpenAI agents this year.
Even ChatGPT Pro is not yet profitable
Despite these ambitious pricing plans, OpenAI doesn't expect to reach profitability until 2030. Even their current ChatGPT Pro subscription at $200 per month operates at a loss, according to CEO Sam Altman. He reportedly anticipates that 20 to 30 percent of Pro users would need to pay higher rates in the future due to their heavy usage.
To address these challenges, OpenAI is exploring a usage-based pricing model. In early March, Altman proposed converting the current $20 ChatGPT subscription into credits that users could spend on specific features like Deep Research, o1, or GPT-4.5. The early user feedback has been cautious, with many expressing concerns about "credit anxiety" - the worry about restricting their usage to save credits.
