OpenAI Plans Major Recruitment Drive This Year

As many technology companies implement staff reductions, OpenAI is taking the opposite approach. The company behind the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT is reportedly planning to double its workforce to around 8,000 people by the end of 2026. Currently, OpenAI employs about 4,500 people. This means that throughout this year, the AI company founded by Sam Altman is targeting the addition of around 3,500 new employees, nearly doubling its current staff. This plan was first reported by the Financial Times (FT) media outlet. According to two sources cited by FT, OpenAI’s recruitment of new employees will take place across various divisions, from product development and engineering to research and sales. This aggressive step indicates that OpenAI is accelerating its business expansion amid increasingly tight competition in the artificial intelligence industry. One competitor that is starting to attract attention is Anthropic, the developer of the Claude chatbot. Based on data from the AI Index by fintech company Ramp, businesses are now 70 percent more likely to choose AI services from Anthropic over OpenAI when first adopting the technology. In addition to strengthening its internal team, OpenAI is also continuing to expand strategic partnerships. In February, the company announced a contract with the United States Department of Defense for the use of their AI technology. This partnership was met with criticism and protests from customers. Even the number of ChatGPT subscribers dropped by 1.5 million customers in less than 48 hours after the announcement. In the private sector, OpenAI is also reportedly exploring partnerships with several investment companies, including Brookfield Asset Management, to implement AI in various business portfolios. Behind this expansion, OpenAI’s valuation has also surged sharply, as compiled by KompasTekno from Engadget and CNBC. In the latest funding round, the company is said to have a valuation of up to $840 billion USD (approximately Rp14,272 trillion), making it one of the most valuable AI companies in the world today. OpenAI’s move stands in contrast to the technology industry’s trend, which is still marked by waves of layoffs until 2026.