The nation’s top business leaders, policy makers and members of the tech community gathered today in Sydney to mark the official opening of OpenAI’s first office in Australia.
The opening comes at a time of rapid adoption of OpenAI’s tools across Australia. Millions of Australians already use ChatGPT to support how they live, work and learn, with the number of weekly active users more than doubling in the past year. Australia now ranks among the top ten markets globally for paid ChatGPT users and is also a top-ten developer market for developers building on the OpenAI platform.
Featuring presentations from the country’s leading tech and business figures, including Canva CEO and co-founder Melanie Perkins, NSW treasurer The Hon Daniel Mookhey, and CommBank’s Group executive, group strategy Stuart Munro, the event highlighted Australia’s once-in-a-generation opportunity to be a global leader in AI, and how investing in talent, technology and partnerships can boost productivity and economic growth.
In Sydney for the official launch, Jason Kwon, chief strategy officer at OpenAI, said having a dedicated Australian team signalled the company’s long-term commitment and investment in the country.
“Australia is well-placed to lead the world in AI. It has a history of early technology adoption, a world-class developer community, and a clear ambition to lift productivity. By opening our first office in Sydney, we are investing in local talent and working directly with Australian businesses, government and the tech community to turn that potential into real economic and societal gains”.
OpenAI’s dedicated Australian team will initially focus on supporting local customers, partners and users to harness OpenAI’s technology safely and impactfully. Over time, the team is expected to expand into more technical and specialised functions.
New South Wales treasurer The Hon Daniel Mookhey said at the launch: “Sydney is Australia’s digital capital, backed by world-class talent and strong government investment – and OpenAI’s arrival here takes that even further”.
Dozens of Australian businesses from across sectors including retail, banking, technology, healthcare and education, are collaborating with OpenAI to rollout cutting edge AI technology to their teams, customers and community.
Australian businesses and organisations currently working with OpenAI include, CommBank which has formed a strategic, multi-year partnership with OpenAI to strengthen scam and fraud detection and deliver more personalised services.
Coles which has deployed GPT-5-powered tools to corporate teams to speed up research, reduce admin and fuel innovation. Coles and OpenAI are also exploring how AI can reshape the shopping experience.
Wesfarmers, which has diverse businesses ranging from home improvement to health and lithium operations to fertiliser and is home to brands including Bunnings, Kmart, Target and Officeworks, will roll out ChatGPT Enterprise to its 118,000 team members, expanding access to future-ready skills across its Australian workforce.
Australian-founded design platform Canva has deep integrations with OpenAI and has developed products built off OpenAI’s APIs. Canva’s workforce also uses ChatGPT Enterprise daily.
Air New Zealand is using OpenAI’s tools to improve customer self-service experiences and enable safe, responsible integrated planning across airline maintenance and operations.
La Trobe University is rolling out ChatGPT Edu at scale to all staff and students by 2027, while embedding AI across its curriculum.
Sporting organisations like the NRL, are working with OpenAI to jointly launch initiatives like the AI Volunteer Guide to help community sport volunteers cut admin time and streamline tasks.
Virgin Australia is building off OpenAI’s technology to explore ways to improve how Australians plan and shop for travel in ChatGPT, using recently announced developer tools (Apps SDK).
Fortescue’s collaboration is a first for Australia’s mining sector. The company is using ChatGPT Enterprise and OpenAI’s API to transform how employees work, learn and innovate.
REA Group is using OpenAI’s technology to power leading consumer experiences across its brands, including on realestate.com.au, making it easier for Australians to find their next home.
