The two fiercest rivals in AI are now business partners. On October 21, Google Cloud announced that OpenAI's frontier models are joining its Model Garden: GPT-6 Astra, GPT-6.1 Sol and GPT-6 Luna are rolling out in private preview to select enterprise customers, sold through Google Cloud Marketplace, on the same Google invoice as everything else. Google is now the only major cloud provider hosting Gemini, Claude and GPT on one platform.
I wrote the full guide on ToolPilot Pro, with the model-by-model breakdown, the billing mechanics, the Codex connection, the security fine print, and the questions neither company has answered yet:
Read the full guide: OpenAI Models Land on Google Cloud
The points that matter
- Private preview, not a public launch: select enterprise customers only, interest form open, GA promised "in the coming weeks"
- Marketplace billing: OpenAI usage lands on the existing Google Cloud bill and draws down existing spend commitments, including Flexible Savings Plans
- Codex hook: local Codex CLI and Desktop workflows can connect to Google's platform for inference starting today; OpenAI models are also coming to Gemini for business and Google Antigravity
- Governance: data perimeter, no training on customer data, VPC Service Controls, unified audit logging; Zero Data Retention and Confidential Compute are still forthcoming
The unanswered question
In September, OpenAI cancelled a finished model called GPT-6.1 Astra after it failed safety evaluations. The Google Cloud flagship is named GPT-6 Astra. Neither company has said whether they are the same model, and the guide explains why that distinction matters before anyone builds on it.
Full guide: https://toolpilotpro.com/openai-models-on-google-cloud
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