AI Daily: OpenAI acquires TBPN, rolls out Codex-only seats

Catch up on the top artificial intelligence news and commentary by Wall Street analysts on publicly traded companies in the space with this daily recap compiled by The Fly.

TBPN ACQUISITION: OpenAI said it has acquired TBPN. “This acquisition brings a team with strong editorial instincts, deep audience understanding, and a proven ability to convene influential voices across tech, business, and culture,” the company said. Fidji Simo, CEO, AGI Deployment at OpenAI, shared a message with the company that partial said, “As I’ve been thinking about the future of how we communicate at OpenAI, one thing that’s become clear is that the standard communications playbook just doesn’t apply to us. We’re not a typical company. We’re driving a really big technological shift. And with the mission of bringing AGI to the world comes a responsibility to help create a space for a real, constructive conversation about the changes AI creates-with builders and people using the technology at the center. That’s exactly what TBPN has built. So rather than trying to recreate that ourselves, it made a lot of sense to bring them in, support what they’re doing, and help them scale-while keeping what makes them special. A core part of this is editorial independence. TBPN will continue to run their programming, choose their guests, and make their own editorial decisions. That’s foundational to their credibility, and it’s something we’re explicitly protecting as part of this agreement. I’m also excited to bring their amazing comms and marketing instincts to the team…TBPN will sit within our Strategy org, reporting to Chris Lehane. Really excited to welcome Jordi, John, Dylan, and the broader team.”

CODEX-ONLY SEATS: OpenAI said that starting on Thursday, teams on ChatGPT Business and Enterprise can add Codex-only seats to their workspaces with pay-as-you-go pricing, giving full access to Codex without a fixed seat fee. The company further stated that it is also making Codex pricing easier to understand. Codex-only seats have no rate limits, and usage is billed on token consumption. This gives users a clearer view of how usage turns into spend and makes it easier to track costs across budgets, workflows, and teams. Teams that need broad ChatGPT access can continue using standard ChatGPT Business seats that do include Codex usage limits. OpenAI added that to make that path more accessible, it was lowering the annual price of ChatGPT Business from $25 to $20 per seat.

SHARING USER DATA: In a lawsuit, Perplexity AI was accused of sharing users’ personal information with Meta (META) and Google (GOOGL) in violation of California’s privacy laws, Robert Burnson of Bloomberg reports. As soon as users log into Perplexity’s home page, trackers are downloaded onto their devices, allowing Meta and Google full access to conversations users have with Perplexity’s AI search engine, according to a class-action complaint filed Tuesday.

SINGAPORE’S AI FUTURE: From 2025 until the end of 2029, Microsoft (MSFT) is on track to spend $5.5B to power Singapore’s AI future, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith announced, alongside the expansion of Microsoft Elevate programs to provide AI tools and skills to tertiary students, teachers and nonprofits with responsible AI to uplift all communities in the AI era. Microsoft is announcing a $5.5B investment in cloud and AI infrastructure and ongoing operations in Singapore during the five years from 2025 through 2029. “As part of Microsoft’s commitment to enabling individuals and economies through technology, talent and trust, every tertiary education student in Singapore also now has free access to Microsoft 365 Premium with Copilot and the company’s suite of productivity tools, while all educators will be provided free AI training through Microsoft Elevate for Educators, and Microsoft Elevate for Changemakers will upskill nonprofit leaders. Together, these programs strengthen the education, workforce, and social impact systems for communities so more people can learn, work, and thrive in the AI economy.” “Our ongoing investment in cloud and AI infrastructure reflects Microsoft’s long-term confidence in Singapore as a global digital leader,” said Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft. “Together, we’re focused on helping people and organizations use AI by strengthening skills, increasing cybersecurity and resilience, and advancing trusted governance so technology delivers real benefits for Singaporeans.”