OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is still leading in AI tech. After raising $6.6 billion in funding and reaching a valuation of $157 billion, they’ve just rolled out a new tool — the Real-time API Beta something that we would like to see in SAP infrastructure as well.
This move, combined with their financial growth, keeps OpenAI at the cutting edge of AI and shows they’re not slowing down anytime soon making it even more challenging for SAP to compete on this cutting edge technology. As showed on recent SAP TechEd it seems that SAP is all in with an AI and try to chase OpenAI releasing own LLM model for ABAP.
The $6.6 Billion Funding Milestone
OpenAI’s latest funding round is the largest in venture capital history. Led by Thrive Capital and supported by major tech players like Microsoft, Nvidia, and SoftBank, this investment brings the company’s total funding to $17.9 billion. Microsoft, a close partner, invested nearly $1 billion, while Nvidia and SoftBank contributed $100 million and $500 million, respectively.
This enormous influx of capital is crucial for OpenAI as it continues to scale and improve its AI models. The company plans to use the funds to:
- Enhance AI research: OpenAI will focus on making new models more advanced and capable of solving increasingly complex problems.
- Expand its AI infrastructure: OpenAI is exploring the possibility of developing its own computer chips to reduce its reliance on external providers like Nvidia. Interestingly, despite this, Nvidia is one of the major investors in OpenAI’s recent funding round. This highlights how intertwined partnerships in the tech industry can be, as Nvidia both supports OpenAI’s growth while also facing future competition in hardware development.
- Attract top talent: With the recent departures of key leaders like CTO Mira Murati and research chief Bob McGrew, OpenAI needs more than just new hires — it requires exceptional talent to fill these gaps and drive its ambitious projects forward.
The Real-Time API Beta
OpenAI’s recent launch of the Real-time API Beta is one of its most exciting advancements yet. This new tool enables developers to create low-latency, multi-modal conversational experiences, meaning it supports both text and audio as input and output in real-time. Such feature can be integrated into the SAP BTP so hopefully we will see it together with ABAP AI as promissed on SAP TechEd 2024 in first quarter of 2025.
Some standout features of the Real-time API include:
- Native speech-to-speech capability: Unlike older models that convert speech to text before processing, the Real-time API handles speech directly, leading to faster responses and more nuanced conversations.
- Natural, steerable voices: The voices generated by the API can laugh, whisper, and even change their tone based on the context, making interactions feel more human and lifelike.
- Simultaneous multimodal output: Text can be used for moderation or reference while the audio output is delivered faster than real time, ensuring smooth and stable playback.
This API is perfect for developers building voice assistants, real-time translation tools, and customer support bots, enabling them to create more engaging, human-like conversations with minimal delay. It also has potential applications in industries like entertainment, healthcare, and education, where real-time, multi-modal communication is key.
What’s Next for OpenAI?
With this record-breaking funding and the launch of the Real-time API, OpenAI is set to continue leading the AI revolution. The company plans to further expand its AI models and create more powerful tools. It also aims to remain competitive as new players, like Anthropic and xAI, enter the field.
The company has already set ambitious revenue targets, projecting $100 billion in sales by 2029. And with its new API, OpenAI is unlocking fresh possibilities in how people interact with technology, promising faster, more natural, and more immersive AI experiences.
How SAP will respond to such a huge investment and recent speech API, what do you think?
#OpenAI #VC #investment #SamAltman #AI #STT #TTS #LLM
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