Capgemini and OpenAI have formalised a strategic collaboration aimed at bringing generative AI agents out of pilot projects and into full-scale enterprise use, a move that could reshape how organisations build and deploy advanced artificial intelligence across core business functions. Capgemini joins other global consultancies in the Frontier Alliance, a programme built around OpenAI’s Frontier platform — a suite of tools for developing, deploying and managing what OpenAI describes as AI “coworkers” capable of executing complex workflows across organisations.Under the partnership, Capgemini will blend its sector expertise, systems integration capabilities and governance frameworks with OpenAI’s modelling and platform technology to help companies scale AI across operations. The alliance reflects a growing recognition among enterprise leaders that while foundation models have advanced rapidly, significant barriers such as data readiness, organisational change and integration with legacy systems have slowed widespread adoption. Brad Lightcap, OpenAI’s chief operating officer, said the collaboration is intended to “close the gap between what frontier AI can do and what businesses can actually deploy with agents.”
Capgemini’s chief executive, Aiman Ezzat, described the partnership as a long-term strategic engagement that combines deep transformation expertise with frontier AI technologies to build solutions “that weren’t possible before.” The firm plans to set up a flagship OpenAI Enterprise Frontier delivery function staffed with certified professionals from its global ecosystem working alongside OpenAI’s Forward Deployed Engineering team, focusing on sectors such as financial services, life sciences, energy and consumer products.
The collaboration marks a shift in the enterprise AI landscape as organisations seek to move beyond isolated experiments to embed intelligent agents in day-to-day business operations. Frontier, the platform around which the alliance is structured, provides a “context layer” that connects disparate corporate data and applications. This is seen by industry analysts as critical to enabling multi-agent systems capable of navigating complex software environments, automating tasks from order processing to customer support, and managing workflows across departments.
Capgemini brings to the table a workforce of more than 420,000 professionals with expertise in digital transformation, cloud engineering, data strategy and industry-specific operations. That depth of domain knowledge addresses a common obstacle cited by enterprise leaders: generative AI models alone are insufficient without the systems integration and regulatory understanding needed to operate in regulated industries such as banking, healthcare and energy. One executive with Capgemini highlighted that organisations are now asking not whether they should adopt AI but how to scale it across 15 countries and dozens of business units — underscoring the complexity of operationalising what have traditionally been research-focused technologies.
The timing of the alliance coincides with broader industry efforts by consultancies and technology vendors to help clients navigate the transition from AI pilots to robust production systems. OpenAI’s Frontier Alliance also includes partnerships with Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey & Company and Accenture, with each bringing complementary strengths in strategy, operating model redesign and systems integration. These firms will work with OpenAI’s engineers to help enterprises embed AI agents into processes such as software development pipelines, sales workflows and customer support systems.
While excitement about AI’s potential to transform business is high, some challenges remain. Firms such as Accenture, another Frontier partner, have seen their stock performance weighed down in part by investor concerns about the pace of enterprise AI adoption and the broader disruption AI may bring to traditional consulting and software markets. Analysts note that deploying agentic AI at scale requires more than frontline technology; it demands workforce training, cultural change and new governance structures that ensure security and compliance across global operations.
Despite these headwinds, the alliance partners are positioning Frontier as a platform that allows enterprises to leverage cutting-edge generative models while retaining control over data and systems. OpenAI emphasises that its approach is not solely about selling software licences but creating sustainable, self-sufficient AI deployment capabilities inside client organisations. Former Slack CEO Denise Dresser, who joined OpenAI as chief revenue officer, has underscored the company’s goal of empowering companies to adopt AI deeply, rather than relying on external partners indefinitely.
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