OpenAI’s Rising Compute Costs Raise Sustainability Questions

[johnblockbuster]

According to the leaked figures, OpenAI’s inference costs hit $3.8B in 2024 and surged to $8.65B in the first nine months of 2025.
Inference — the cost of running AI models — is mostly cash-based, unlike training credits provided by Microsoft.
This hints that OpenAI may be spending more on compute than it earns, fueling new debates about an AI bubble and long-term profitability in the sector.

[EmTeam]

The financial ties between OpenAI and Microsoft run deeper than most realize. 🧩

[alex10]

Sustainability will depend on breakthroughs in efficiency, not just more hardware.