OpenAI is the company behind the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT. Credit: Ascannio/Shutterstock.

OpenAI is in preliminary discussions for a fresh funding round that could value the company at $100bn or more, reported Bloomberg, citing sources.

Preliminary negotiations have involved investors who might be interested in the funding round, the sources said.

The specifics of the funding round, including terms and timing, are yet to be finalised and may change, they warned.

If the funding round proceeds as anticipated, the valuation would rank the artificial intelligence (AI) company as one of the most valuable startups globally.

OpenAI declined to comment on the development.

The company behind the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT is also finalising a separate tender offer in early January led by Thrive Capital, the publication said.

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OpenAI’s valuation surge reflects the AI boom initiated by its release of ChatGPT, which has attracted billions in investments, including from Microsoft.

The technology sector has seen increased investments in AI, with Amazon and Alphabet backing OpenAI competitor Anthropic, and Salesforce investing in Hugging Face.

NVIDIA has also increased its investments in AI-focused companies.

Furthermore, OpenAI is holding discussions with G42, an Abu Dhabi-based company, to potentially raise between $8bn and $10bn.

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has been looking for funding for the Tigris chip project, which aims to develop semiconductors that could rival those from NVIDIA.

In October, G42, announced a collaboration with OpenAI to offer AI solutions in the UAE and neighbouring markets.

Last month, the future of OpenAI faced uncertainty when Altman was briefly dismissed, causing some investors to consider devaluing their stakes.

However, Altman was reinstated after five days, and a new board was appointed. The company is now refocusing on its products to reassure customers and stakeholders.

Earlier this month, OpenAI formed a partnership with media and technology company Axel Springer.