OpenAI and Deutsche Telekom launch collaboration to deliver powerful new AI products for everyday use

• Multi-year collaboration: Co-developing new AI products and experiences
• Granted early access to an alpha-phase model
• AI for customers at scale: Simple, privacy-first AI for millions, with first pilots planned for Q1 2026

Deutsche Telekom and OpenAI today announced a multi-year collaboration to bring advanced AI capabilities to millions of customers and businesses across Europe. As one of the first companies Deutsche Telekom gets early access to an alpha-phase model. With OpenAI, Deutsche Telekom will design new AI-powered products and improve how people communicate.  

This next phase builds on Deutsche Telekom’s long-standing use of AI in products, customer care, and network operations and OpenAI’s global leadership in frontier research and enterprise-grade AI. 

New experiences for customers 
ChatGPT is used by more than 800 million people weekly across the globe providing a strong base for creating AI experiences that feel familiar, helpful, and easy to use. This widespread familiarity also helps enterprises adopt AI faster and more effectively. 

Deutsche Telekom and OpenAI will work together to design simple, personal, and multilingual AI experiences across communication and everyday productivity. The first pilots are planned for Q1 2026. 

“Deutsche Telekom brings AI experience, best quality networks and trust and deep customer reach in Europe. With our frontier research and enterprise platform, we’re supporting them in upgrading and strengthening operations, and deploying advanced AI across both customer experiences and internal workflows”, said Brad Lightcap, COO at OpenAI. 

“This is not a typical vendor relationship, it is a strategic collaboration helping shape the future of AI in Europe. Together with OpenAI, we are building next-generation products, strengthening our core operations with AI,” said Abdurazak Mudesir, board member for product and technology at Deutsche Telekom. “We are focused on making AI intuitive, secure, and meaningful in everyday life for our customers, employees, and our networks.”   

As part of the collaboration, Deutsche Telekom will make ChatGPT Enterprise available across the organisation. Employees will gain secure access to OpenAI’s most capable tools, helping teams work more effectively, improve customer service, and spend more time on innovation. 

AI will also play a larger role in customer care, internal copilots, and network operations as the Group advances toward more autonomous, self-healing networks. 

With more than 261 million mobile customers globally, Deutsche Telekom provides a strong foundation to bring AI into everyday use at scale. 

The new collaboration marks the next step in Deutsche Telekom’s AI journey - moving from early pilots to large-scale products that make AI useful for everyone. 

About Deutsche Telekom: Deutsche Telekom at a glanc