Artificial intelligence giant OpenAI is eyeing London as the locale for its next-largest tech hub outside of its U.S. headquarters, according to reporting by The Times. OpenAI will build upon the London office it established in 2023, and the facility will focus on the key components of its frontier model development.
The company plans to expand its existing team of 30 researchers in London, but has not specified the target headcount. Its latest move is part of an ongoing competition with Google DeepMind for highly skilled AI talent, with the latter boasting a U.K. workforce of 2,000 people. OpenAI has even previously hired talent directly from Google DeepMind, chief research officer Mark Chen mentioned, according to The Times.
OpenAI’s upcoming office expansion signifies its confidence in the U.K.’s technology ecosystem. The company is furthering its presence in London as the city represents a critical component of its global operations.
