$200M OpenAI Deal integrates GPT‑5.2 into Snowflake Cortex AI

By integrating GPT‑5.2 into Snowflake Cortex AI, OpenAI enables enterprises to run advanced analytics, build AI agents, and extract insights from data without moving it.

Supporting over 12,600 organizations, the partnership signals a multi-cloud, model-agnostic approach, combining Snowflake’s infrastructure with OpenAI’s frontier intelligence to accelerate enterprise AI adoption.

Integration of Frontier AI for Enterprises

OpenAI’s official blog confirms the partnership integrates frontier AI models into Snowflake, including Cortex AI and Snowflake Intelligence. This allows customers to run natural-language queries, generate insights, and build AI agents directly on their data.

Executives emphasized that embedding OpenAI’s models as a core Snowflake capability enables secure, governed intelligence where enterprise data resides.

“This partnership bridges the gap between AI potential and real-world application, while addressing governance, security, and accessibility challenges,” OpenAI stated.

Intensifying Enterprise AI Competition

TechCrunch frames the deal as part of a broader enterprise AI race, with Snowflake and OpenAI enabling thousands of organizations to deploy advanced AI tools. Customers gain access to OpenAI models across all major cloud providers, freeing enterprises from reliance on a single vendor.

Snowflake CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy highlighted the strategic importance of embedding frontier AI into enterprise data, allowing companies to deploy trustworthy, high-performance AI agents. 

Meanwhile, Snowflake’s VP of AI noted that the company remains model-agnostic, offering access to multiple AI providers, including Anthropic, Google, and Meta, reflecting the trend of enterprises partnering with several vendors rather than a single source.

Market Dynamics and Competitive Pressures

Reuters underscores that the partnership positions Snowflake and OpenAI at the forefront of enterprise AI adoption. Unlike early initiatives focused on chatbots, this collaboration emphasizes integrated systems running directly on corporate data, reducing movement while strengthening security and governance.

The models are now natively available on AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, giving enterprises flexibility and ensuring wide accessibility.

Reuters also highlights competitive pressure: rivals like Databricks are rapidly developing AI agent platforms, signaling that enterprise AI has become a key battleground among cloud data providers.

Implications for Enterprise AI Adoption

With GPT-5.2 embedded in Snowflake, enterprises can run advanced analytics, automated workflows, and AI-driven applications on secure, in-place data. Early adopters like Canva and WHOOP report faster decision-making and accelerated innovation, showcasing the practical impact of integrated AI capabilities.

The partnership highlights a multi-cloud, model-agnostic approach, allowing organizations to combine Snowflake’s trusted infrastructure with OpenAI’s frontier intelligence.

By harnessing their most valuable asset, the data, enterprises can build powerful, responsible AI agents, signaling a new era of data-driven enterprise innovation.
Source: Snowflake and OpenAI