How Independent is OpenAI from Microsoft?

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has stated that his company is independent and not controlled by Microsoft. Despite this claim, Microsoft appears to be fully leveraging the capabilities of ChatGPT across its product lineup, particularly within its Bing search engine. While Microsoft is integrating ChatGPT extensively, OpenAI seems hesitant or slow in monetizing and commercializing the technology directly.

There’s potential for OpenAI to disrupt the search engine market significantly if they chose to launch a dedicated product like gptsearch.com, which would combine ChatGPT with web search capabilities. Such a move could potentially shift market dynamics in just a week. However, from current observations, it appears that OpenAI has prioritized enabling Microsoft to commercialize ChatGPT first. This approach raises questions about whether OpenAI makes decisions independently from Microsoft or if there are underlying agreements or pressures that guide their strategies.