Microsoft–OpenAI Pact Revised: Exclusivity Dropped, AGI Clause Scrapped

This echoes IBM’s 1981 decision to let Microsoft license MS-DOS beyond IBM PCs—a move that dissolved exclusivity, reshaped an industry, and ultimately diminished IBM’s control. Likewise, AT&T’s 1984 divestiture opened long-distance telephony, spurring competition and innovation. Today’s revision reflects a longer arc: dominant tech platforms eventually loosen vertical ties under pressure from capital needs, antitrust scrutiny, and the economics of scale-hungry infrastructure. By shifting to a multi-cloud, non-exclusive footing, OpenAI seeks broader market access and cheaper compute, while Microsoft hedges by securing predictable returns and diversifying its model roster. Over a 100-year horizon, this moment matters less for its legal fine print than for signaling how the emergent “foundation model” layer may commoditize: power migrates from single-vendor lock-in toward ecosystem interoperability, much as rail gauge standardization in the 19th century unlocked continental commerce. The deal’s dismantling of an AGI-contingent clause also hints that markets, not metaphysical milestones, will likely determine AI’s trajectory.