OpenAI AI Updates: April 1, 2026

1. OpenAI Closes Record $122B Funding Round at $852B Valuation

OpenAI closed a record-breaking $122 billion funding round — up from the $110 billion announced in February — valuing the company at $852 billion. SoftBank led the round alongside Andreessen Horowitz, D.E. Shaw Ventures, MGX, TPG, and T. Rowe Price, with Amazon, NVIDIA, and Microsoft also participating. Approximately $3 billion came from individual investors, a first for the company. OpenAI reported over $2 billion in monthly revenue, 900 million weekly active ChatGPT users, 50 million subscribers, and an advertising business that generated over $100 million in annual recurring revenue within six weeks of launch. The company also secured a $4.7 billion revolving credit facility ahead of its anticipated IPO. Source

2. ChatGPT Becomes First Major AI Chatbot on Apple CarPlay

OpenAI launched a dedicated ChatGPT app for Apple CarPlay following the iOS 26.4 update, making it the first major AI chatbot available in the car dashboard. The integration operates exclusively through voice with no on-screen text to comply with Apple’s distraction guidelines, featuring minimal controls limited to an “End” button and mute/unmute functionality. Apple’s new CarPlay framework also supports Claude and Gemini, though neither has released a dedicated CarPlay app yet. Source