OpenAI launches global partner program

OpenAI is launching a global partner program intended to help partners build, sell and deliver AI solutions using the model-maker’s technology.

The company is dropping US$150 million to support the partner ecosystem, part of which is targeted at its goal of training 300,000 certified consultants by the end of this year.

There are three partner tiers – select, advanced and elite – each designed to recognise partners for the value they create and providing them with access to the resources, enablement and support needed to build successful AI practices, the company said.

Each tier has a "high bar" for sales performance, technical capability, co-sell engagement, and deployment experience.

OpenAI said as the program evolves, partners will be able to earn specialisations in areas including Codex, cybersecurity and agents.

“These specialisations are designed to help customers identify partners with proven capabilities in the areas that matter most to their AI transformation, while giving partners a clearer path to build expertise, stay current with OpenAI’s rapid product delivery cycles, and bring more targeted solutions to market,” the company said in a statement.

For partners working on complex enterprise deployments, OpenAI said it is piloting a Forward Deployed Experts program with a set of founding partners.

The program is designed to help qualified partner practitioners better align with OpenAI’s Forward Deployed Engineering teams when customer needs call for deeper deployment support.

Participants will gain exposure to OpenAI technologies, playbooks, and transformation patterns.