Reasoning
OpenAI has been investing heavily in developing and scaling AI models, which has historically increased operational costs. As of mid-2026, industry reports indicate that compute costs remain high relative to revenue growth, particularly in the inference segment. Additionally, OpenAI's competitors are also ramping up spending on infrastructure, contributing to a challenging pricing environment. Therefore, the risk of a negative gross margin in at least one quarter seems plausible.Key uncertainty
The impact of potential new pricing strategies or cost reductions in the AI infrastructure market could significantly alter profitability outcomes.