I seriously wonder why, given the Microsoft deal, OpenAI didn't just cede all product development and production-izing of their models to MS while they focus on research. I know smart people work there, some friends included, but OpenAI was never a product-led startup, they were a research org. Ignoring the closed vs open debate for a moment: for all the talk of focus, focus, focus from YC, it seems unfocused to ship…
It's also good marketing. For the people who use ChatGPT every day, they're a known quantity, unreliable as it is. Other companies need to show that they're better.
These are both similar advantages to what Google has with their search engines.