Artificial intelligence leader OpenAI is opening an office in Dublin, the Microsoft (MSFT.O)-backed company said Thursday. It is the company’s third office. Its headquarters are in San Francisco, and it announced a London office in June, its first corporate location outside the US. The Dublin office starts small, with nine open jobs across different teams. However, OpenAI chief strategy officer Jason Kwon said the company intends to open more roles shortly. The company chose Ireland, he said, because it has “strong connectivity between the private sector, academia and government.” The country’s laws also favor tech companies regarding privacy, data protection, and taxes.
The expansion is part of a global push by the San Francisco-based startup to expand its presence in Europe, where it’s already making waves with its ChatGPT large language model and other research. It’s a move that coincides with the company preparing for new regulations to improve data privacy and accountability in consumer-facing AI tools. CEO Sam Altman has toured the world recently to seek the best place to set up an EU office, stopping in Spain, France, Poland, Germany, and the UK. He said the Dublin location will allow the company to comply with future European rules but won’t be the firm’s European headquarters and won’t have an executive running it for the time being.
Until now, OpenAI has kept details of its offices a closely guarded secret. Reporters who have attempted to visit have been escorted out by security staff. In February, the company completed a four-story, 59,000-square-foot building in San Francisco’s Mission District. The building was created by combining two buildings on 1960 Bryant Street. Plans viewed by Insider show the company’s lavish space, with amenities you might expect from the world’s most famous AI startup.
While the Dublin office won’t be the company’s EU headquarters, it will be a hub for various operational facets like trust and safety, go-to-market strategies, and more. It will be led by a regional manager to foster closer connections with customers and policymakers in the region.
The job listings for the Dublin office are available on OpenAI’s careers page. The website overviews all the positions, or you can narrow your search to a particular department. After filling out an application, candidates will typically be interviewed by phone and onsite meetings. The process typically lasts one or two days and may include technical questions, competency tests, and discussions about the candidate’s fit with the company’s culture. After the final interview, successful candidates will be offered a position. The company is hiring for nine positions in Dublin, ranging from engineering and science roles to business and finance lead. The company also offers an internship program for early-career professionals.