OpenAI Residency
Our 6-month program accelerates talented builders and early researchers from any domain, giving them the mentorship and environment to do real research at the frontier of AI.
About the program
The OpenAI Residency supports researchers and engineers who are already exploring AI or who come from closely related fields such as mathematics, physics, or neuroscience. Residents work alongside OpenAI teams, gaining hands-on research experience, close mentorship, and the judgment needed to contribute to advanced AI systems.
“This program is an excellent way for people who are curious, passionate, and skilled to sharpen their focus on AI and machine learning—and to help us invent the future.”
Who we’re looking for
We welcome strong candidates from quantitative and scientific fields, and we are placing a growing emphasis on early builders who are already doing meaningful work. These individuals move quickly from idea to prototype, show strong research instincts, and demonstrate unusual self-direction.
Residents bring their existing strengths to real research problems in collaboration with OpenAI teams, while receiving a full salary. We value excellence regardless of institution or background, and encourage applicants who are self-taught, non-traditional, or early in their careers if they have a clear record of building and learning with intensity.
“I didn't have any AI background coming into the Residency Program. This program is the most hands-on possible way to learn AI research by working with and learning from the world's leading experts in the field. Everything I learned I did by making contributions, on day one, on training, evaluating, and building with cutting edge research.”
“OpenAI Residency was more than a program—it was a crucible of growth, blending academic rigor with nurturing mentorship, and teaching me to be bold yet methodical.”
Tyna Eloundou
Former OpenAI Resident
FAQ
No. The Residency is not an internship. For those Residents who perform well we extend full-time offers to join OpenAI immediately upon completion of the six-months Residency.
“A leap from biology to AI? OpenAI Residency said ‘yes,’ turning doubts into the most fundamental, impactful, and fun research I’ve ever done.”
