What happened
Google is integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into its existing cloud infrastructure and Workspace suite to enhance current business workflows. Concurrently, OpenAI is transforming its ChatGPT chatbot into a new operating system, complete with an app ecosystem. This divergence introduces two distinct AI platform architectures, shifting market competition from innovation towards distribution, integration, and sustainable business models, and potentially enabling users to bypass traditional SaaS applications directly via AI platforms.
Why it matters
The emergence of distinct AI operating models from Google and OpenAI introduces a significant operational constraint for platform operators and procurement teams. The potential for users to execute tasks directly within AI platforms, bypassing established SaaS applications, creates a visibility gap regarding data flows and process adherence. This increases exposure for IT security and compliance teams to unmonitored data handling and shadow IT risks, necessitating higher due diligence requirements for integrating and governing AI-driven workflows across the enterprise.
