ANN/ THE STRAITS TIMES – OpenAI, the San Francisco-based company known for pioneering generative artificial intelligence (AI), is set to open its second Asian office in Singapore later in 2024.
This will be the company’s fourth international branch and will focus on strengthening regional collaboration.
One key initiative will be working with AI Singapore, the national AI program, to develop generative AI models tailored to the cultures and languages of Southeast Asia.
This expansion highlights OpenAI’s long-term strategy to tap into Singapore’s growing tech talent and establish a stronger presence in the region, positioning the city-state as a hub for its Asia-Pacific (APAC) partnerships.
CEO Sam Altman said in a statement yesterday, “Singapore, with its rich history of technology leadership, has emerged as a leader in AI, recognising its potential to solve some of society’s hardest problems and advance economic prosperity.
“We’re excited to partner with the government and the country’s thriving AI ecosystem as we expand into the Apac region.”
Altman, 39, last visited Singapore in June 2023 during a world tour to discuss AI-related issues and address concerns about the rapid roll-out of its signature product, ChatGPT, which brought generative AI into the mainstream.
OpenAI, founded in 2015, has offices in London, Dublin and Tokyo. The location of its Singapore office is still being finalised.
It will focus on supporting customers and partnerships with governments, businesses and institutions, said OpenAI.
“These plans reflect Singapore’s leadership position in technology and AI, as well as the growing demand for advanced AI tools across Apac,” said OpenAI, which added that Singaporeans are among the highest-per-capita users of ChatGPT worldwide, with the number of weekly active users here doubling since the start of 2024.
When asked, OpenAI confirmed that it plans to hire between five and 10 employees before 2025, for roles related to sales, security and solutions engineering, among others, and is committed to hiring local talent in Singapore.
Its regional operations will be led by Oliver Jay, who will serve as managing director of International and will be based in Singapore. Jay was previously chief revenue officer at software company Asana and an independent board director at Grab.
The firm will work more closely with Singapore government partners, such as the Economic Development Board (EDB), to support AI development in Singapore.
OpenAI added, “Establishing a regional presence brings OpenAI closer to innovative local companies, such as Grab in Singapore and Canva in Australia, which are using OpenAI’s advanced AI products to power new tools and features for their customers.”
With that, OpenAI aims to make advanced AI more accessible in Southeast Asia and will provide up to USD1 million to develop resources to ensure AI models that reflect the region’s diverse languages and cultures under a new partnership with AI Singapore.
As an agency tasked with driving the growth of the technology here, AI Singapore is developing Sea-Lion, a network of ChatGPT-like large language models that are specifically trained for Southeast Asian users to ensure that there is an AI that captures the region’s cultures.
Since OpenAI made ChatGPT public in 2022, its presence in Singapore has expanded quickly, with its technology being integrated into AI solutions used by both businesses and the government, including customer service chatbots and an internal AI assistant for civil servants, Pair.
AI models by Google Cloud and Meta have also entered the fray and are among the systems that are being tested by the authorities in various projects.
EDB Managing Director Jacqueline Poh said OpenAI’s entry is a sign of the strength of the city-state’s growing AI ecosystem, investments in AI talent, computation and demand from businesses.
OpenAI’s operations here is likely to help spark new collaborations across the sector, she added.
The start-up’s overseas expansion comes on the heels of reports of its planned overhaul from a non-profit research lab into a more investor-friendly, for-profit business, in the light of rising operational costs of running powerful AI systems globally.
While OpenAI said its non-profit arm remains core to the company, the move has raised concerns within the industry over managing AI risks – such as how it collects data for training and other ethical considerations – in its new structure.
The company will host its first Developer Day on November 21, targeting developers and start-ups.
