OpenAI has announced plans to open a new research center in London, its largest outside of San Francisco.
In a statement confirming the move, OpenAI said it marks a significant expansion of its footprint in the UK.
Staff working at the new hub will “own key components” of OpenAI’s frontier AI model research, test real-world applications, and drive the development of secure AI models, the company said.
Mark Chen, OpenAI’s chief research officer, said London-based staff are already playing a key role in developing OpenAI solutions such as Codex and GPT-5.2.
“We are excited to establish London as a leading research hub for OpenAI and build on the major work already being done by our team there to support the latest advances,” he said.
OpenAI has had a strong foothold in the UK since mid-2023, following the opening of its London office, the company’s first international expansion.
OpenAI London hub is a ‘huge vote of confidence’
Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the announcement was a “huge vote of confidence” in the UK’s technology sector and its “world-leading position at the cutting edge of AI research”.
“It also reaffirms the UK’s global leadership as a venue for pursuing safe and transformative AI innovation,” she added.
“AI is already providing better ways to treat disease, personalized support in the classroom, and new ways to access clean, affordable energy.”
OpenAI echoed Kendall’s comments in its announcement, noting that the expansion “reflects the UK’s unique concentration of world-class talent” in areas such as machine learning and science.
UK academic institutions are also a key driver of this move, OpenAI revealed. The country is home to a number of top universities and “globally acclaimed scientific institutions,” making it an ideal location for the company’s research.
“The UK brings together world-class talent and leading scientific institutions and universities, making us an ideal location to ensure the safety and usefulness of our country’s AI and deliver vital research that benefits everyone,” Chen commented.
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