OpenAI, the renowned artificial intelligence (AI) firm, has been aggressively expanding its operations in the United Kingdom, as revealed by a recent data analysis. The company has been on a hiring spree, with a particular focus on “go-to-market” or sales roles. Notably, OpenAI has also managed to attract a prominent team leader from its rival, Google’s DeepMind.
Last June, OpenAI made headlines when it announced its plans to establish a corporate office in London, marking its first international expansion. This strategic move placed OpenAI’s first non-US office in close proximity to DeepMind, one of its biggest competitors in the AI field.
An analysis of LinkedIn data conducted by Business Insider indicates that OpenAI has been rapidly hiring in the UK since January, with a significant influx of new employees in May and June. The majority of these hires have been in software engineering and “go-to-market” positions, which involve determining the best approach to introduce and update products in different markets.
According to Business Insider’s analysis of over 60 full-time positions in the UK, more than half of OpenAI’s UK employees joined the company from March onwards this year. The new hires have been sourced from various companies, including Meta, Salesforce, and Snap.
One particularly noteworthy addition to OpenAI’s team is Thibault Sottiaux, a core contributor to Google’s Gemini AI family of models. Sottiaux’s involvement in the research papers for both the first and 1.5 models of Gemini has earned him recognition. Previously, he led a team at DeepMind responsible for training the models using human feedback. At OpenAI, Sottiaux’s LinkedIn profile lists his role as a “member of technical staff.”
OpenAI declined to comment on these recent developments when approached by Business Insider. Additionally, OpenAI announced in September its plans to open an office in Dublin, although this location currently has a smaller staff.
In recent weeks, OpenAI has introduced several new products, including its voice mode and SearchGPT, a comprehensive search engine designed to rival Google. The company is also actively working on GPT-5, its upcoming flagship model.
Last year, Google merged its DeepMind unit with its core AI group, resulting in the rebranded Google DeepMind. DeepMind developed Gemini, a direct competitor to OpenAI’s GPT-4 model, and is currently working on its next significant model, expected to compete with GPT-5.
In a related move, Microsoft, a key supporter of OpenAI, announced in April its plans to establish a separate AI hub in London, further intensifying the competition for AI talent.