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  • OpenAI losing money on $200/mo ChatGPT Pro plan, CEO Sam Altman says

Jan 6, 2025

OpenAI losing money on $200/mo ChatGPT Pro plan, CEO Sam Altman says

Bay Area Times
Bay Area Times

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Top stories today:

  1. OpenAI losing money on $200/mo ChatGPT Pro plan, CEO Altman says
  2. CES 2025 to bring latest from world of AI hardware and robots
  3. Foxconn's Q4 revenue +15% to record $NT2.13T ($65B) on AI demand
  4. 109 VC-based startups shut down in 2024 even after raising $20M+
  5. U.S. long-term unemployment +50% since 2022

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0. Data and calendar

All values as of 6 AM ET / 3 AM PT, other than S&P500 and NASDAQ close (4 PM ET / 1 PM PT).

CORRECTUM: Last week’s YTD values hadn’t been updated for 2025. Hat tip to our reader G.R.

All times are ET.

Listen to our AI-generated podcast summarizing today’s newsletter (beware of the few hallucinations):

1. OpenAI losing money on $200/mo ChatGPT Pro plan, CEO Sam Altman says

X: Sam Altman.

  • People using it more than expected are costing OpenAI on the Pro plan, Altman said.

  • ā€œI personally chose the price and thought we would make some money,ā€ Altman said.

  • Separately, OpenAI tested $20 and $42 as the base subscription for ChatGPT, Altman said in an interview.

  • ā€œPeople thought $42 was a little too much. They were happy to pay $20,ā€ he said.

Relatedly, OpenAI is shifting his focus to ā€œsuperintelligence,ā€ Altman hinted through a blog post on Sun.

  • ā€œWe love our current products, but we are here for the glorious future,ā€ Altman said.

  • Superintelligence could be ā€œa few thousand daysā€ away, Altman previously said.

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3. CES 2025 to bring latest from world of AI hardware and robots, starting Tue.

  • Samsung’s 2025 smart TVs have introduced live translation ahead of the public access to the annual electronics event.

  • Samsung Food has been upgraded to find recipes for dishes from shows.

  • Roborock Saros Z70 with a robotic arm has debuted to take on existing robot vacuum cleaners.

  • Withings Omnia has launched as a ā€œconceptualā€ smart mirror for full body-scanning, offering insights into weight, sleep, activity, and nutrition.

  • Circular has unveiled Ring 2 with electrocardiogram functionality and atrial fibrillation detection.

  • Birdify has introduced Bath Pro smart birdbath, featuring a solar-powered fountain.

  • NVIDIA, Sony, and Waymo are also among companies hosting their keynotes at this year’s CES to make new announcements.

4. Foxconn's Q4 revenue +15% to record $NT2.13T ($65B) on AI demand

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