OpenAI and Databricks have signed a multiyear deal worth $100 million to bring AI services to large business clients. The partnership is designed to make it easier for companies to build AI agents using their own data, addressing a major barrier to enterprise AI adoption.

Both companies, headquartered in San Francisco, expect the collaboration to yield $100 million in revenue over time. The agreement reflects a growing trend of tech firms joining forces to help enterprises utilize AI agent technology effectively.

AI Integration Made Simpler with Databricks’ Data Platform

The deal enables businesses to access OpenAI’s latest flagship model, GPT-5, directly through Databricks’ platform. This integration allows corporate users to build AI agents using their internal data with minimal setup.

“It just works for them out of the box,” said Databricks Co-Founder and CEO Ali Ghodsi. He emphasized the potential for “significant incremental, actual revenue and usage.”

OpenAI’s Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap highlighted the scale of their ambition, saying the company's plan to “far eclipse” the initial $100 million figure.

High Expectations: Revenue, Adoption, and Accuracy

Financial specifics beyond the $100 million agreement were not disclosed. However, both companies confirmed joint research initiatives as part of the partnership.

“Data is the lifeblood of AI in the enterprise,” Lightcap stated. “Our hope is that from experimentation to deployment, this partnership is able to accelerate enterprises, both with AI and data.”

A key challenge for enterprise AI agents is reliability. Many businesses hesitate to deploy agents that cannot guarantee near-perfect performance. Ghodsi noted that Databricks is working to bring AI agent accuracy to over 95%, equating it to human-level precision.

Enterprise Demand for Data-Integrated AI Agents Grows

This deal marks OpenAI’s first major integration involving enterprise data access. While OpenAI offers its own AI agent-building platform, it typically lacks direct access to customer data—something Databricks provides in abundance.

Other major software firms, including Salesforce and Workday, have also launched their own AI agent-building tools with access to clients’ internal data. This data integration is seen as essential for making AI solutions truly effective in enterprise environments.

Databricks recently announced a similar $100 million partnership with Anthropic, further expanding its AI offerings.

Real-World Impact: Mastercard Uses AI Agents for Customer Support

Databricks currently supports over 20,000 business customers and has surpassed a $4 billion annual revenue run rate. The firm provides analytics and AI-ready cloud software to help clients build enterprise tools using their proprietary data.

Greg Ulrich, Chief AI and Data Officer at Mastercard, said the company has used Databricks to deploy AI agents in customer onboarding and support. The AI helps users answer questions and engage with Mastercard’s services more efficiently.

“The key to getting value out of AI is to be able to link it with your data,” Ulrich said.

PHOTO: SILICONANGEL

This article was created with AI assistance.