OpenAI starts small business program for ChatGPT Work adoption

OpenAI has introduced a small business program aimed at increasing use of ChatGPT Work among smaller firms, with training and support focused on functions including accounting, marketing and eCommerce. The initiative adds to the company’s effort to position its workplace AI agent as a productivity tool for businesses that may lack large technology teams.

The company said in a Tuesday, July 21, press release that the ChatGPT small business program includes webinars, in-person OpenAI Academy events, customer stories, interactive guides, short videos, partner plugins, skills and special offers. OpenAI said the materials are designed to show business owners how to begin using ChatGPT Work and how to apply it to day-to-day tasks.

ChatGPT Work was rolled out beginning July 9, according to OpenAI. The company described it as an agent within ChatGPT built for work that is more involved than a standard chat query. OpenAI said the tool can operate across a user’s apps and files, spend hours on a project when needed, and create outputs such as spreadsheets, slide decks, documents, web apps and other finished materials.

The mechanism is intended to move ChatGPT beyond generating responses inside a conversation. By connecting to files and applications, an agent can take a user’s instruction, gather relevant information, perform a sequence of tasks and return a completed work product. OpenAI said the small business program is meant to help owners identify those use cases and apply the tool with guidance rather than starting from a blank prompt.

OpenAI said small businesses need enterprise-grade technology delivered in a format that is accessible and affordable. The company said ChatGPT Work is powered by GPT-5.6, which it called its most advanced model available to businesses of any size and across all subscription plans.

“We’re most excited for small businesses to explore use cases with ChatGPT Work, and let it take on tasks that would have otherwise been outsourced, fallen to the wayside, or handled as one of the many hats an owner has to tackle,” OpenAI said in the release.

The company said small firms can choose the level of intelligence model suited to a particular task, giving lean teams more room to balance quality, speed and cost. OpenAI framed the program around practical adoption, including guided instruction, exercises at Academy events and examples from other customers.

The launch comes as AI tools are being closely watched for their effect on company formation and staffing models. PYMNTS reported on July 14 that Citadel Securities found U.S. business applications have increased since the launch of ChatGPT, while the median number of employees at seed-stage startups has declined.

Citadel Securities said a founder who previously needed separate staff for accounting, marketing, customer service and compliance can use AI to combine those functions across a smaller team. OpenAI’s new program targets a related market: existing and aspiring small business owners seeking to use AI tools without building dedicated internal AI operations.

This story draws on original reporting from PYMNTS.