Microsoft’s multi-year partnership with OpenAI is taking a new direction as the ChatGPT maker will no longer exclusively choose Microsoft Azure for new cloud capacity.

ChatGPT maker OpenAI will use other cloud infrastructure providers, but Microsoft retains right of first refusal.

The new agreement “includes changes to the exclusivity on new capacity, moving to a model where Microsoft has a right of first refusal (ROFR),” Microsoft says. “To further support OpenAI, Microsoft has approved OpenAI’s ability to build additional capacity, primarily for research and training of models.”

Microsoft and OpenAI are loosening the tight bond that connects them. In future, OpenAI will be able to obtain cloud capacities for its AI from elsewhere.

Microsoft (MSFT) is no longer the exclusive cloud partner of artificial intelligence (A.I.) start-up company OpenAI. Microsoft has lost its role as the only provider of cloud computing capacity even though it is the largest investor in OpenAI,

We are thrilled to continue our strategic partnership with OpenAI and to partner on Stargate. Today’s announcement is complementary to what our two companies have been working on together since 2019.

Microsoft has revised its agreement with OpenAI, allowing the AI company to partner with other cloud service providers (CSPs). However, Microsoft retains the Right of First Refusal (ROFR), giving it a priority to match any competing offers before OpenAI commits to other providers.

The long-standing partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI has evolved in order to “drive the next phase of AI”. Key elements of the 2019 agreement remain in place until 2030, including Microsoft’s right to OpenAI intellectual property for use within its products,