At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, leaders from OpenAI and Anthropic signaled a sharp turn toward enterprise clients, positioning large corporations as the next battleground for AI dominance. Executives from both companies emphasized this shift during private discussions and public appearances, highlighting how business users now drive the bulk of their revenue amid intensifying competition.

Enterprise customers represent about 40% of OpenAI’s business and a staggering 80% of Anthropic’s, according to statements made to reporters. This focus comes as both firms grapple with soaring compute costs and investor demands for sustainable growth. OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei used the alpine gathering to court Fortune 500 leaders, promising tailored AI tools that promise measurable returns on investment.

Revenue Realities Reshape Priorities

The pivot underscores a maturing phase for generative AI, where consumer hype yields to corporate contracts. CNBC reported that OpenAI and Anthropic executives view enterprises as key to scaling amid Big Tech rivals like Microsoft and Google. Anthropic’s heavy reliance on business revenue—80% of its total—reflects strategic bets on long-term deals with sectors like finance and healthcare.

OpenAI’s enterprise push builds on its ChatGPT Enterprise product, now used by thousands of companies. Altman, in Davos side conversations, stressed customization for specific workflows, while Amodei highlighted Anthropic’s Claude models for secure, compliant deployments. This comes as Fortune notes the broader shift from AI excitement to demands for productivity proof.

Compute Crunch Fuels Enterprise Bet

Behind the scenes, compute scarcity looms large. OpenAI’s recent podcast featured CFO Sarah Friar discussing explosive demand for AI infrastructure, with posts on X from OpenAI underscoring compute as the bottleneck. Enterprises offer predictable revenue to fund massive data center builds, essential as models grow hungrier for power.

Anthropic’s Amodei, speaking at Davos panels, addressed competition from Google’s Gemini and potential IPO plans, per Seeking Alpha. He positioned enterprise wins as critical for independence from hyperscalers. Meanwhile, Reuters captured Davos buzz, where AI intertwined with U.S. politics under President Trump.

ROI Under the Microscope

Silicon Valley chieftains faced pointed questions on returns. Los Angeles Times detailed investor impatience with AI’s trillion-dollar valuations, pushing leaders to showcase enterprise wins. OpenAI touts cases like PwC’s deployment saving thousands of hours, while Anthropic partners with educators via Teach For All for curriculum tools.

At Davos, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, and others joined Amodei in panels, per Euronews. Discussions zeroed in on workforce impacts and Europe’s AI role, with Amodei advocating thoughtful development. X posts from Anthropic highlighted research on model ‘persona space,’ reinforcing enterprise-grade safety features.

IPO Horizons and Competitive Pressures

Rumors of public listings swirl. The New York Times speculated 2026 as a mega-IPO year for OpenAI, Anthropic, and SpaceX, unleashing capital floods. OpenAI’s board mulls restructuring to bolster its nonprofit arm, as noted in prior X announcements. Amodei addressed IPO prospects directly at Davos.

Enterprise focus counters consumer slowdowns. Seeking Alpha echoed CNBC, with both firms racing for market share through vertical solutions. OpenAI’s Friar and investor Vinod Khosla discussed compute on the OpenAI Podcast, emphasizing equitable AI access via enterprise scale.

Safety and Scalability in Spotlight

Anthropic’s latest work on Claude’s ‘constitution’ incorporates human-like virtues for ethical maturity, detailed in X threads. This appeals to risk-averse enterprises. OpenAI echoes with governance tweaks, balancing innovation and safeguards amid regulatory scrutiny.

Davos conversations, dominated by AI and geopolitics, per Reuters, saw leaders like Elon Musk voicing fears and hopes. Anthropic’s partnership with Microsoft and Nvidia bolsters its enterprise stack, as X posts confirm. OpenAI’s infrastructure pleas align with Altman’s long-standing calls for more fabs and energy.

Enterprise Wins Define the Race

As Davos wrapped, the message was clear: enterprise adoption will dictate AI frontrunners. With 40-80% revenue stakes, OpenAI and Anthropic are all-in on corporate transformation, from custom agents to secure analytics. Investors watch closely, demanding proof beyond prototypes that these deals deliver the bottom-line impact promised.