Apple just handed enterprise IT departments the keys to AI kingdom. The tech giant's September software updates will let businesses configure employee access to ChatGPT Enterprise, marking Apple's most significant push into corporate AI management yet. With OpenAI's enterprise service already serving 5 million business customers, this integration could reshape how companies deploy AI across their workforce.
Apple is betting big on enterprise AI, and the stakes just got higher. The company's upcoming September software rollout doesn't just add ChatGPT integration – it hands IT administrators unprecedented control over how their workforce accesses artificial intelligence, potentially reshaping the $50 billion enterprise software market.
The move comes as OpenAI's enterprise offering has exploded to over 5 million business customers, according to company data shared with TechCrunch. These companies are already using ChatGPT Enterprise to connect AI agents with their internal data systems, creating a massive addressable market that Apple clearly wants to capture.
But here's where Apple's strategy gets interesting: the integration isn't hardcoded specifically for OpenAI. According to Apple's support documentation, IT administrators will be able to restrict or allow any "external" artificial intelligence provider. This architecture decision signals Apple's intention to court other major AI players – potentially Google's Bard Enterprise, Microsoft's Copilot, or Anthropic's Claude for business.
"What's fascinating is Apple's approach to AI governance," notes enterprise software analyst Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities. "They're building the plumbing for multiple AI partnerships without having to restructure their entire integration layer."
