OpenAI confirms it is opening offices in Paris and Brussels

OpenAI confirmed it is opening an office in Paris later this year, following reports last month, as the company tries to establish itself in Europe, the ChatGPT maker told Euronews Next on Wednesday.

The company also said that it will also be opening offices in Brussels, Singapore, New York and Brussels later this year.  

The California-based company catapulted onto the technology scene in 2022 with its generative artificial intelligence (genAI) software. The company is reported to be raising $6.5 billion (€5.8 billion) in a funding round that would value OpenAI at over $150 billion (€134 billion). 

OpenAI’s presence in France will “enable the company to better collaborate with French developers, companies, and civic organisations, helping more people, businesses, and society realise the benefits of AI,” the company told Euronews Next in a statement.

“France is renowned worldwide for its innovation and leadership in technology and AI,” said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in the statement.

“We’re excited to open an office in Paris later this year and become part of its thriving ecosystem. With a team here, we can closely partner with French businesses, institutions, and developers to help them realise the benefits of AI,” he added.

OpenAI also announced on Wednesday that it is partnering with the French organisation Simplon, which provides digital skills training and AI literacy programs to under-resourced communities.

The French company will join OpenAI’s academy programme, which OpenAI says aims to democratise access to AI technologies. As part of that programme, OpenAI will provide Simplon with training and technical guidance.

France’s aims of becoming a tech powerhouse

OpenAI opened offices in London and Dublin last year, as the company has made no secret that it seeks to boost its presence in Europe. It has also recently hired several Paris-based recruits such as Julie Lavet, to lead lobbying in Europe.

French President Emmanuel Macron has said he wants Paris to transform “from the City of Light into the City of AI”. 

The French government has climbed onto the global AI stage thanks to its initiative to support innovation and start-ups, which the country has been heavily investing in since 2017.

“The opening of OpenAI’s Paris office testifies to the attractiveness of France and the quality of our talent and researchers,” Clara Chappaz, the French secretary of state for artificial intelligence and digital affairs, said in a statement.

“This choice reflects the growing dynamism of our French artificial intelligence ecosystem, which we aim to position as a world leader”.

Mistral AI is one of France’s success stories. The start-up was founded in 2023 by former Meta and Google engineers and has since raised almost €6 billion. 

H is another Paris-based AI start-up working on new models and has soared in valuation. Its co-founders previously worked at Google DeepMind.