Oliver Jay and Melanie Perkins. Credit: OpenAI
OpenAI has opened its first Australian office in Sydney.
The launch event attracted business leaders, policymakers and tech figures including Canva CEO Melanie Perkins, NSW treasurer Daniel Mookhey and CommBank group executive Stuart Munro.
Jason Kwon, chief strategy officer at OpenAI, said the dedicated Australian team signalled long-term commitment to the country.
"Australia is well-placed to lead the world in AI. It has a history of early technology adoption, a world-class developer community, and a clear ambition to lift productivity," Kwon said.
The team will focus on supporting local customers, partners and users, with plans to expand into technical and specialised functions.
"Sydney is Australia's digital capital, backed by world-class talent and strong government investment and OpenAI's arrival here takes that even further," Mookhey said.
OpenAI said weekly active ChatGPT users in Australia have more than doubled in the past year.
Australian organisations working with OpenAI include CommBank, which has formed a multi-year partnership for scam detection and rolled out ChatGPT Enterprise to 48,000 staff.
Coles has deployed GPT-5-powered tools to corporate teams and is exploring AI applications for shopping experiences.
Wesfarmers will roll out ChatGPT Enterprise to 118,000 team members across brands including Bunnings, Kmart, Target and Officeworks.
Canva's 5000-plus workforce uses ChatGPT Enterprise daily and has built products using OpenAI's APIs.
Other partners include Air New Zealand, La Trobe University, the NRL, Virgin Australia, Fortescue and REA Group.
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