OpenAI takes on LinkedIn with new jobs platform for AI-ready workers - The Economic Times

OpenAI has announced plans to launch an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered hiring platform in 2026, taking on Microsoft's LinkedIn as it develops products beyond ChatGPT. The company also launched an AI certification program through its OpenAI Academy, with partnerships including Walmart, aiming to skill 10 million Americans by 2030.

OpenAI’s recently appointed CEO of applications, Fidji Simo, announced in a company post that the OpenAI Jobs Platform aims to connect businesses with AI-skilled workers. According to Simo, the platform will "use AI to help find the perfect matches between what companies need and what workers can offer".

"We also realize that anyone looking to hire, whether it’s through the Jobs Platform or elsewhere, needs to trust that candidates are actually fluent in AI. Most businesses, including small businesses, think AI is the key to their future. And most of the companies we talk to want to make sure their employees know how to use our tools," Simo said.

The hiring platform will also focus on small businesses and local governments seeking AI talent, she added. The Texas Association of Business plans to use the platform to connect thousands of Texas employers with AI-ready workers.

Interestingly, OpenAI's platform challenges LinkedIn, cofounded by Reid Hoffman, one of OpenAI's early investors. He was also on the company board till March 2023. Hoffman quit to avoid conflicts of interest with his AI investments through Greylock Partners and his role in founding Inflection AI.

Certification programme

OpenAI will also pilot its certification programme in late 2025, with courses covering AI fluency, from basic workplace applications to advanced prompt engineering.

Retail giant Walmart is one of the major launch partners for this initiative.

The certification programme allows users to prepare for certification directly within ChatGPT's Study mode, and companies can integrate it into their learning and development programmes. "We realise that upskilling or reskilling programs have a mixed record, and haven’t always led to better jobs or higher wages. But we’ve studied what has and hasn’t worked in the past, and are designing our programmes to better serve the needs of both workers and companies," Simo explained in the post.

Jobs versus AI

The announcement of an AI-powered jobs platform comes amid conversations around the technology erasing hundreds of thousands of entry-level jobs across sectors. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei had recently remarked that AI could eliminate up to 50% of entry-level white-collar positions by 2030. Simo acknowledged this disruption in her blog post, stating that while OpenAI "can't eliminate that disruption," the company can help people become AI-fluent and connect them with employers.