OpenAI launches consulting arm to push enterprise adoption of its AI
OpenAI is building a consulting business to help large organizations deploy its language models into their operations. The company acquired consulting firm Tomoro and is assembling a team of Forward Deployed Engineers to work directly inside client organizations.
The move signals a shift from OpenAI's recent retail focus-such as adding advertising to ChatGPT-toward serious enterprise engagement. Major investors backing the effort include Bain Capital, Goldman Sachs, SoftBank, Warburg Pincus, Capgemini, and McKinsey & Company.
OpenAI said the new unit will help organizations "build and deploy AI systems they can rely on every day across their most important work." A typical engagement starts with diagnosing where AI creates the most value, then selecting priority workflows with the client's leadership before designing, building, testing, and deploying production systems.
Why this matters for legal professionals
OpenAI has not mentioned legal services in its announcement. But the legal market is worth $1 trillion globally, with major corporations spending hundreds of millions annually on legal work. That makes it an obvious target.
Rival Anthropic has already moved aggressively into legal tech. The company released Claude for Word with legal examples, launched a legal plugin, held a webinar on using Claude for legal work that drew over 20,000 attendees, and struck an "all-in" deal with law firm Freshfields.
OpenAI is an investor in Harvey, a legal AI startup, so the company understands legal opportunities even if it hasn't pursued them as directly as Anthropic has.
If OpenAI targets in-house legal teams and law firms with its new consulting service, it could compete with the roughly two dozen smaller legal AI consultancies already serving this sector. The approach-sending engineers to work inside organizations on specific workflows-mirrors services already offered in legal tech.
What could change
OpenAI's pricing, support model, and how support is charged could determine whether legal buyers choose it over existing tools. The company would likely need to develop legal-specific offerings-as Anthropic is doing-to win significant adoption.
Some legal tech tools without strong competitive advantages could face pressure if OpenAI enters the market with backing from major consulting firms. But the AI market remains early and competitive positions shift quickly.
OpenAI has OpenAI Courses available for professionals looking to understand how the company's technology works. For those focused on legal applications, AI for Legal resources cover the broader adoption landscape.
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