OpenAI models are now available on AWS for the first time, here's why it's a big deal

OpenAI

In a move that signals a major shift in the cloud AI arms race, OpenAI is officially bringing its models to Amazon Web Services (AWS). This marks the first time OpenAI models will be available natively on AWS and it comes with OpenAI’s full backing.

The announcement coincides with OpenAI’s release of two open-weight reasoning models, said to rival its proprietary o-series. These models are now accessible via AWS Bedrock and SageMaker, putting Amazon in direct play with Microsoft and giving AWS customers a new way to build and run AI applications using OpenAI technology.

While anyone can download the models from Hugging Face, Amazon’s Bedrock and SageMaker offer them as plug-and-play options, backed by OpenAI’s product team. Dmitry Pimenov, OpenAI’s product lead, confirmed the models' availability on AWS, calling the move a coordinated release, not just a side-door distribution.

It’s a strategic coup for AWS, which has so far been a backer of Anthropic (maker of Claude) and an open AI platform supporter but lacked direct ties to OpenAI. For context, Microsoft has long enjoyed exclusive bragging rights as OpenAI’s primary cloud partner via Azure, a dynamic that’s drawn increasing scrutiny.

Just last week, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy faced tough questions from Wall Street analysts frustrated by AWS’s perceived GenAI lag behind Microsoft and Google. Jassy pushed back, claiming AWS still dominates in scale, but the optics weren’t great.

Now, with OpenAI finally in its cloud corner, even partially, AWS has something new to flaunt.

With Bedrock and SageMaker, enterprise customers using AWS can now experiment with OpenAI’s open-weight models without switching platforms. That lowers the barrier for AI app development and brings OpenAI's reach to one of the largest enterprise cloud ecosystems in the world.

For OpenAI, the benefits are clear: It softens its dependence on Microsoft, just as the two are reportedly renegotiating their long-term partnership. Tapping into AWS’s massive enterprise base gives OpenAI another lever and another bargaining chip.

There’s also a competitive message here for Meta. OpenAI’s release of these Apache 2.0-licensed models underscores a commitment to transparent AI development. Meta, meanwhile, has signalled it may stop open-sourcing its next-gen "superintelligence" models, a move that could isolate it from the broader open AI ecosystem.