OpenAI has announced a new hiring platform designed to connect businesses with workers trained in AI tools and practices.
The service, called the OpenAI Jobs Platform, is expected to launch by mid-2026 and will be supported by a new certification program offered through OpenAI Academy. Together, these tools aim to make it easier for employers to find qualified candidates while helping workers gain and demonstrate skills related to AI.
The platform is part of OpenAI’s broader move into professional services, which also includes learning programs and partnerships with major employers like Walmart.
According to the company, the goal is to support both large organizations and smaller employers, including local governments, in building teams that can use AI effectively in their daily work.
Why It Matters: As AI tools become part of routine work, knowing how to use them is turning into a basic requirement for many jobs. OpenAI is building systems to address that shift directly, offering a path from training to certification to employment. The company is positioning itself as a key participant in preparing the workforce to use them.
- AI-Powered Job Matching from the Ground Up: The OpenAI Jobs Platform will use AI to connect workers with employers in ways that go beyond traditional résumés. Instead of relying on past titles or vague skills lists, the system is designed to assess real-world AI capabilities. OpenAI is specifically tailoring the platform to support corporations as well as small businesses and local governments that may lack robust hiring infrastructures.
- Skill Verification Through Certification: The OpenAI Certifications program will assess levels of AI fluency, from basic usage of tools like ChatGPT to advanced roles in prompt engineering and AI customization. These credentials are designed to integrate directly into employers’ learning and development programs. Walmart, the largest private employer in the U.S., is already collaborating with OpenAI on the rollout.
- New Tensions in an Unlikely Rivalry: With this expansion, OpenAI enters direct competition with LinkedIn which is owned by Microsoft, OpenAI’s largest investor. While LinkedIn has integrated AI features into its platform, OpenAI is going several steps further by creating a full-stack solution where learning, certification, and job matching occur within a single ecosystem.
- Training 10 Million Workers by 2030: OpenAI has committed to certifying 10 million Americans over the next five years. These efforts are part of a broader alignment with federal initiatives to expand AI literacy and prepare the workforce for technological disruption. The pilot program is expected to begin in late 2025, supported by partnerships across both the private and public sectors.
- Part of a Larger Product Vision: The jobs platform is just one element in a growing suite of consumer-facing applications at OpenAI. Under the direction of Fidji Simo, former CEO of Instacart and now OpenAI’s Chief of Applications, the company is also rumored to be working on an AI-powered browser and a social media platform, indicating a shift toward comprehensive, AI-native services.
Go Deeper -> OpenAI announces AI-powered hiring platform to take on LinkedIn – TechCrunch
OpenAI is building an AI jobs platform that could challenge Microsoft’s LinkedIn – CNBC
OpenAI is taking on LinkedIn to find you your next job in AI – before it’s too late – TechRadar
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