Europe stands at a pivotal moment for AI adoption, and OpenAI is positioning itself as a key driver of economic transformation across the region.
Through its recently published EU Economic Blueprint, OpenAI aims to develop AI technologies specifically tailored for European needs, supporting businesses of all sizes.
Building Europe’s AI Infrastructure
OpenAI’s blueprint proposes increasing EU computing capacity by at least 300% by 2030, focusing on geographically distributed infrastructure optimized for AI deployment. This approach aligns with the company’s broader global investments, including the “Stargate Project” – a massive AI infrastructure collaboration with SoftBank, Oracle, and MGX.
This investment in computing power comes as OpenAI continues to enjoy rapid growth, with revenues projected to reach $12.7 billion in 2025, more than triple its 2024 figure of $3.7 billion.
The recent $40 billion funding round led by SoftBank further strengthens OpenAI’s position, with its valuation reaching approximately $300 billion, nearly doubling since October 2024.
Tools for Business Transformation
Beyond infrastructure, OpenAI is equipping European businesses with practical tools to implement AI solutions:
Agent-Building Toolkit: Released in March 2025, this toolkit enables companies to create AI agents that can perform complex tasks. Early adopters include financial and legal firms using these tools to extract insights from large datasets while maintaining security permissions.
OpenAI’s announcement highlighted:
Our goal is to give developers a seamless platform experience for building agents that can help with a variety of tasks across any industry.
Industry-Specific Applications: European industries ranging from healthcare to manufacturing can leverage these tools to streamline operations. For example, medical facilities can deploy agents for appointment scheduling, while production facilities can use them to monitor equipment status and predict maintenance needs.
Web Integration: The company’s Computer-Using Agent model achieved high success rates for web-based interactions (87% on WebVoyager), enabling European companies to automate tasks previously requiring manual effort.
Competing in a Global Landscape
European businesses adopting OpenAI’s technologies will be entering an increasingly competitive global AI landscape:
- Microsoft maintains a $13 billion partnership with OpenAI while developing its own in-house AI models
- China’s Deepseek has launched a marketplace offering AI services at significantly lower costs
- Anthropic’s Claude models continue to excel at complex reasoning tasks
These competitive pressures have prompted OpenAI to consider pricing adaptations for different markets, potentially offering more cost-effective solutions for European businesses compared to premium tiers rumored to cost up to $20,000 monthly for advanced research capabilities.
Skills and Accessibility
OpenAI’s blueprint acknowledges that technology alone isn’t enough.
The company proposes training 100 million Europeans in foundational AI skills by 2030 through freely accessible online courses in all official EU languages.
The plan also includes a Youth Digital Agency in AI Initiative to engage young Europeans in co-designing AI applications that reflect their needs and values—creating a pipeline of AI-native talent for European businesses.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, encapsulted the company’s approach succinctly:
We’ll make it better, we’ll make it cheaper, we’ll make it more widely available, but we really want to put it in people’s hands.
OpenAI’s bright Future
Looking ahead, European businesses should monitor OpenAI’s expanding portfolio:
Hardware Integration: OpenAI recently hired Caitlin Kalinowski, formerly Meta’s Head of AR Glasses Hardware, to lead robotics and consumer hardware initiatives. Does this suggest OpenAI’s vision extends beyond software into physical AI applications?
Advanced Models: European companies already using GPT-4o for general tasks will soon have access to more specialized models, with OpenAI’s latest offerings outperforming competitors on technical benchmarks for math, science, and coding tasks.
A European AI Vision
The EU Economic Blueprint emphasizes that AI development must reflect European values while reducing regulatory complexity.
OpenAI proposes that “EU policymakers should focus on reducing barriers within the single market by simplifying the digital rulebook, eliminating redundant or obsolete proposals and harmonizing rules to attract investment.”
To support this vision, OpenAI has proposed a €1 billion AI Accelerator Fund to rapidly finance pilot projects demonstrating clear societal or economic value.
Through these initiatives, OpenAI aims to position itself not just as a technology provider, but as a strategic partner in Europe’s AI transformation – building tools and infrastructure that enable European businesses to compete effectively in the global marketplace while maintaining alignment with EU values and priorities.