GlossaryProductsNew to AI

1P

First-party access to AI services, meaning direct interaction with the provider's models and infrastructure.

In plain terms

First-party (1P) means you are interacting directly with the company that created the AI model or service. Think of it like buying directly from the manufacturer instead of through a reseller.

For example, when you use OpenAI's API to access their models like GPT-4, you are using a first-party service. This usually means you get the most up-to-date features and direct support from the provider.

The expert version

First-party (1P) refers to services or products offered directly by the original developer or provider, as opposed to third-party offerings that may build on top of or resell the original service. In the context of AI, 1P access typically means interacting directly with a model provider's API or platform, such as OpenAI's API for their GPT models or Google's API for Gemini. This direct access often provides the latest model versions, features, and performance characteristics, with the provider managing the underlying infrastructure and updates.

Why it matters now

The recent focus on designing failover across model providers highlights the importance of understanding first-party versus third-party access. As applications become more complex, developers need to know when they are interacting directly with a primary AI provider for reliability and performance.

Where it shows up 1 items, newest first
How each company uses it
OpenAI ChatGPT
OpenAI offers first-party access to its models through its API and ChatGPT interface, allowing direct interaction with their AI services.
Related terms

Third-partyAPIModel providerCloud providerService level agreementPlatform

Often confused with
Third-party
Third-party services use or build upon first-party AI models, often
Managed service
A managed service can be first-party or third-party, focusing o
Origin

The term 'first-party' originates from business and sales, distinguishing between direct sales from the manufacturer (first-party) and sales through intermediaries (third-party). It has been adopted in technology to describe direct access to a service or data.

Try this about 5 minutes

Go to the OpenAI website and sign up for an API key. Then, use a simple code example to send a prompt to a GPT model. This direct interaction with OpenAI's service is an example of first-party access.

Try it: Playbook entries that use thisPlaybook →

The Playbook: reusable how-tos, prompts, configs and tips pulled out of the news.

Questions people ask

What is the main benefit of first-party access?
The main benefit is direct access to the latest model versions, features, and performance, along with direct support from the provider.
Is using ChatGPT first-party?
Yes, using ChatGPT directly from OpenAI's website or official app is considered first-party access to their AI models.

First seen on Subvolts Oct 17, 2026. Updated Oct 17, 2026. Written by an AI model from the items above and reviewed against them weekly; report an error.