OpenAI has started 2026 by accelerating its commercial and operational expansion amid increasing competition in the artificial intelligence sector. Companies like Alphabet, with its Gemini 3 model, and Anthropic, with Claude, are intensifying the rivalry in the development of advanced chatbots. As part of its partnership strategy, OpenAI signed a three-year agreement with ServiceNow to integrate its AI models into voice agents for customer service and IT task management, such as system reboots or access to data in legacy infrastructures. ServiceNow will develop voice solutions based on OpenAI's technology. In Spain, Telefónica recently announced a collaboration with OpenAI that will allow Movistar customers to access ChatGPT Plus at no cost for six months. Additionally, OpenAI and BBVA sealed a partnership in December to transform financial services through AI. In the infrastructure sector, OpenAI closed a deal with Cerebras, a chip manufacturer, to expand its computing capacity, valued at $10 billion. It has also established collaborations with Nvidia, which committed up to $100 billion, and AMD, with the possibility of acquiring up to 10% of its capital. Regarding monetization, OpenAI plans to introduce advertising in the free versions of ChatGPT. According to The Information, the company is already offering advertising space to a select group of advertisers, with investments below one million dollars during a pilot phase starting in February. The company is also exploring hardware development. Chris Lehane, OpenAI's Global Affairs Director, hinted in Davos that the company could present its first device in the second half of the year. Various specialized media suggest it could be headphones, following the acquisition of Io, the device firm founded by Jony Ive, in a $6.5 billion deal. OpenAI is also promoting the OpenAI for Countries initiative, aimed at fostering the construction of data centers and the use of AI in sectors such as education, health, and disaster management, seeking to reduce the technological gap between countries. In January, the company launched ChatGPT Health, a tool that integrates user medical information with AI to improve access to health data. Sarah Friar, OpenAI's CFO, stated that 2026 will be the year of "practical adoption" of AI, aiming to bridge the gap between the technology's potential and its everyday use in businesses and countries. Friar highlighted the growth of OpenAI's computing capacity, which increased from 0.2 GW in 2023 to 1.9 GW in 2025, and the rise in annual revenues from $2 billion to over $20 billion in the same period. Growth and profitability remain challenges for OpenAI, which competes with SpaceX for the title of the world's most valuable startup, reaching a valuation of $500 billion in the latest employee stock sale. The company is considering a potential IPO that could place its valuation at one trillion dollars, amid strong investor demand in the sector. However, the company faces legal uncertainties, such as the lawsuit filed by Elon Musk, co-founder of OpenAI, who is claiming up to $134 billion from OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging they deviated from the organization's original mission. Musk, who left OpenAI in 2018, has launched his own AI company, xAI, and the chatbot Grok.