OpenAI to nearly double headcount to about 8,000 by end of 2026
Mar 22nd 2026 · United States
OpenAI will hire mainly in product, engineering, research and sales as it expands office space in San Francisco and pursues growth amid rising competition.
- OpenAI plans to expand staff from about 4,500 to roughly 8,000 by the end of 2026.
- New hires will focus on product development, engineering, research and sales.
- The company has taken more than 1 million square feet of office space in San Francisco.
- The hiring push comes amid competition from Anthropic, Google and Microsoft for corporate AI customers.
- OpenAI has revealed plans to acquire Astral, agreed to buy Promptfoo, and is in talks on a joint venture with private equity firms including TPG, Brookfield and Bain.