OpenAI and Microsoft Part Ways: AWS Cloud Partnership Expands

OpenAI officially ends its exclusive cloud partnership with Microsoft, expanding collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud. Under the restructuring terms disclosed on April 29, Microsoft will no longer pay revenue sharing to OpenAI, while OpenAI gains independent sales rights to deploy and monetize its AI models on AWS and Google Cloud without Microsoft's approval. In exchange, Microsoft retains all revenue from selling OpenAI models through Azure.

This move marks OpenAI's complete break from sole reliance on the Microsoft cloud ecosystem. Amazon stated in an official blog post, "This is the starting point for deeper cooperation between AWS and OpenAI," with plans to continuously integrate the latest models and agent capabilities on Amazon Bedrock. Additionally, Amazon announced a $50 billion investment in OpenAI in February 2026, with funds designated for OpenAI to purchase AWS self-developed Trainium chips to support large model training. Meanwhile, Google Cloud is actively evaluating the revised agreement terms to explore potential collaboration.

Analysts point out that OpenAI restructuring its relationship with Microsoft twice in less than six months reflects a strategic drive for technological independence and business diversification. Although OpenAI's Chief Revenue Officer Denise Dresser claims the new AWS partnership is "unrelated" to the Microsoft breakup, industry observers believe this move signals an accelerating reshaping of the cloud AI competitive landscape. Going forward, OpenAI is expected to reach a broader range of enterprise and government clients through a multi-cloud strategy, while Microsoft can simplify its partnership and focus on its own cloud service revenue.