The Financial Times has signed a deal with OpenAI for the latter to use FT’s content to “help improve its models’ usefulness.”

AI companies are making deals throughout the industry for access to content, both to provide users with relevant results to queries and to improve the training of their AI models. As the current industry leader, OpenAI has signed a number of deals, with the FT deal being the latest.

The new deal builds on the two companies’ previous relationship, in which FT became a ChatGPT Enterprise customer earlier in 2024, providing ChatGPT access to all employees.

In addition to the stated goal of helping OpenAI “improve its models’ usefulness,” the outlet says the two companies will “collaborate on developing new AI products and features for FT readers.” The deal will give ChatGPT users access to some of FT’s journalism, as well as select quotes and attributed summaries.

“This is an important agreement in a number of respects,” said FT Group CEO John Ridding. “It recognises the value of our award-winning journalism and will give us early insights into how content is surfaced through AI. We have long been a leader in news media innovation, pioneering the subscription model and engagement technologies, and this partnership will help keep us at the forefront of developments in how people access and use information.”

“The FT is committed to human journalism, as produced by our unrivalled newsroom, and this agreement will broaden the reach of that work, while deepening our understanding of reader demands and interests,” Ridding added. “Apart from the benefits to the FT, there are broader implications for the industry. It’s right, of course, that AI platforms pay publishers for the use of their material. OpenAI understands the importance of transparency, attribution, and compensation – all essential for us. At the same time, it’s clearly in the interests of users that these products contain reliable sources.”

OpenAI welcomed the expanded relationship with FT.

“Our partnership and ongoing dialogue with the FT is about finding creative and productive ways for AI to empower news organisations and journalists, and enrich the ChatGPT experience with real-time, world-class journalism for millions of people around the world,” said Brad Lightcap, COO of OpenAI.