OpenAI has announced its upcoming AI-powered hiring platform, the OpenAI Jobs Platform, set to launch in mid-2026. Positioned as a direct competitor to LinkedIn, the service will leverage AI to match businesses with workers, offering dedicated support for small businesses and local governments. Alongside this, OpenAI will expand its AI literacy efforts through OpenAI Academy and certifications, aiming to certify 10 million Americans by 2030 in partnership with Walmart and the White House initiative. While acknowledging concerns over AI-driven job disruption, OpenAI frames this move as both a workforce solution and a competitive entry into Microsoft-owned LinkedIn’s domain.

September 4, 2025 — OpenAI, the company best known for ChatGPT, is expanding far beyond conversational AI into one of the most critical arenas of the global economy: jobs and workforce development.

On Thursday, OpenAI announced the OpenAI Jobs Platform, an AI-driven hiring service slated to launch in mid-2026. The platform will directly connect businesses and workers by using artificial intelligence to match employer needs with candidate skills. Fidji Simo, CEO of Applications at OpenAI, introduced the initiative in a blog post, framing it as part of the company’s responsibility to expand economic opportunity at a time when AI itself is reshaping the job market.

A Direct Challenge to LinkedIn

The move positions OpenAI in direct competition with LinkedIn, the Microsoft-owned professional network that dominates online recruiting. The rivalry is particularly notable given Microsoft’s role as OpenAI’s largest financial backer and the fact that LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman was one of OpenAI’s earliest investors.

Simo emphasized that OpenAI’s platform will not only target large enterprises but will also include dedicated tracks for small businesses and local governments to access AI talent. “We want to use AI to help find the perfect matches between what companies need and what workers can offer,” she wrote.

Building AI Fluency at Scale

Alongside the hiring platform, OpenAI will expand its OpenAI Academy, which launched last year, by offering new AI fluency certifications. A pilot program will begin in late 2025, with a goal of certifying 10 million Americans by 2030.

Walmart, one of the world’s largest private employers, has already signed on as a partner, alongside John Deere, BCG, Accenture, Indeed, and several state and local government bodies including Delaware and Texas. These partnerships are designed to ensure that workers gain practical, market-recognized credentials in AI, making them more competitive in an evolving labor market.

The initiative also aligns with the White House’s ongoing campaign to expand AI literacy nationwide. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and other tech executives are scheduled to meet President Donald Trump this week to discuss the role of AI in the economy.

Balancing Opportunity and Disruption

The dual announcements come amid growing anxiety over the future of work. Industry leaders, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, have warned that AI could eliminate up to 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs by 2030. Simo acknowledged these risks, writing: “We can’t prevent disruption. But we can help people adapt by equipping them with AI fluency and connecting them to opportunities where those skills are valued.”

OpenAI is backing up its claims with research. The company’s economics team has released studies showing significant productivity gains: teachers using ChatGPT saved an average of six hours per week, while public servants in Pennsylvania cut 95 minutes from their daily workloads.

A Multi-Sector Push

To demonstrate AI’s potential for social good, OpenAI has also hosted a series of initiatives, including the Nonprofit Jam, where organizations like the Walton Foundation and Emerson Collective explored how AI tools could accelerate community services, and the AI for Economic Opportunity Demo Day in partnership with GitLab Foundation, which highlighted use cases in education, workforce development, and social equity.

OpenAI has even established a research workshop in Washington, D.C., to work with economists on developing indicators that measure AI’s impact on productivity and employment.

The Stakes Ahead

With its Jobs Platform and certification programs, OpenAI is signaling a profound shift: from being a provider of consumer AI tools to becoming a labor market infrastructure company. The stakes are high. If successful, OpenAI could redefine not just how people interact with technology, but how they find work, learn new skills, and navigate the turbulence of a rapidly changing economy.

“AI represents an unprecedented opportunity,” Simo wrote. “It should belong to everyone.”

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Sources:

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  TechCrunch: “OpenAI announces AI-powered hiring platform to take on LinkedIn” (Sep 4, 2025)

  
  


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  OpenAI Blog: “Expanding economic opportunity with AI” (Sep 4, 2025)