Press Release | Gütersloh, 01/22/2025

Bertelsmann and OpenAI Agree on Strategic Collaboration

• Broad-scale use of ChatGPT Enterprise across the international media, services, and education company’s businesses
• Bertelsmann to draw on efficient tools for innovation in the media business
• Joint development projects to support creative work processes

Gütersloh. January 22, 2025 – Bertelsmann and OpenAI have agreed on a strategic collaboration. Bertelsmann intends to work with OpenAI to expand and accelerate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the media, services, and education sectors. Bertelsmann is one of the first European corporations to scale the OpenAI technology ChatGPT across multiple brands around the world. The agreement includes employees’ use of ChatGPT, as well as the development of new products and services.

Rolf Hellermann, Chief Financial Officer of Bertelsmann and Chairman of the Tech & Data Advisory Board, commented: “We are aware that AI has enormous potential to drive innovation, efficiency, and creativity in all parts of our company. I look forward to realizing this potential in our collaboration with OpenAI as well. Together with our partners, we will continue to support the work of our creative professionals through a targeted and responsible use of AI.”

“Bertelsmann is one of the world’s leaders in media, services, and education and we're thrilled to be working together at the intersection of AI and media,” said Brad Lightcap, Chief Operating Officer at OpenAI. “With Bertelsmann, we look forward to inspiring creativity and innovation across the broader AI and creative ecosystems.”

Bertelsmann will implement OpenAI’s ChatGPT Enterprise at its companies to increase the efficiency of existing processes in the daily workflow. In addition, experts and creatives from the Group's content businesses will work with OpenAI to develop new ways of creating and distributing video, audio, and text content.

There are plans for projects to advance the use of AI in the Group’s divisions. For example, at RTL Deutschland, journalists will be supported by OpenAI technology. In marketing, AI will facilitate processes, e.g. with personalized book recommendations on social media at Penguin Random House. On the streaming services RTL+ and M6+, AI-based solutions are improving search functions and personalizing program recommendations. Innovative projects are also planned in the area of video generation, in collaboration with RTL Group.

In the lead-up to its agreement with OpenAI, Bertelsmann had just recently set up an AI Hub to facilitate the use of synergies and definition of priorities across the Group. Bertelsmann’s goal is to support the creative process in its content businesses with generative AI wherever possible, and to underscore its pioneering role in the use of new technologies together with OpenAI.

About Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann is a media, services, and education company with more than 80,000 employees that operates in about 50 countries around the world. It includes the entertainment group RTL Group, the trade book publisher Penguin Random House, the music company BMG, the service provider Arvato Group, Bertelsmann Marketing Services, the Bertelsmann Education Group and Bertelsmann Investments, an international network of funds. The company generated revenues of €20.2 billion in the 2023 financial year. Bertelsmann stands for creativity and entrepreneurship. This combination promotes first-class media content and innovative service solutions that inspire customers around the world. Bertelsmann aspires to achieve climate neutrality by 2030.