OpenAI says it will make its AI models available on Google Cloud's model garden and Antigravity coding tool in the coming weeks, after launching on AWS in April (Jordan Novet/CNBC)

OpenAI plans to distribute its top artificial intelligence models through Google Cloud starting next month, according to a joint announcement on Wednesday. This move further strengthens the partnership between the two rivals and highlights how major cloud providers are becoming crucial distributors of advanced AI models. OpenAI's latest models, including GPT-6 Astra, will be made available through Google Cloud's Model Garden, allowing customers to purchase them via Google Cloud Marketplace using existing cloud spending commitments.

The agreement also facilitates access for customers in regulated industries, leveraging Google Cloud's security controls, data governance tools, and infrastructure for "agentic AI workflows."

Google Cloud will host OpenAI's models alongside other popular third-party models, expanding the platform's offerings beyond its proprietary ones. This partnership comes as Alphabet's Google becomes the latest major cloud provider to offer OpenAI's models to its customers, following the expiration of OpenAI's exclusive distribution deal with Microsoft in April.

The deal adds another layer to the evolving relationship between OpenAI and Google, two competitors in the AI space who are increasingly collaborating due to the economic challenges of building and deploying large-scale models. Google has been positioning its cloud unit as a neutral platform to provide customers with a broader range of AI models, expanding on a previous cloud agreement with OpenAI.

Google Cloud's CEO, Thomas Kurian, emphasized that Google's cloud platform is an open environment welcoming any popular developer model. The arrangement aligns with a broader trend where hyperscalers are becoming the primary commercial channels for frontier AI labs, with cloud providers typically taking a percentage of sales through their platforms.