In a landmark move set to reshape the Australian economy, OpenAI—the company behind ChatGPT—has launched “OpenAI for Australia,” the first major initiative of its kind in the Asia Pacific region. The program is a wide-ranging partnership with key Australian businesses and infrastructure providers, promising to deliver a massive upgrade to the country’s AI capabilities, workforce skills, and homegrown tech innovation. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated that Australia is “well placed to be a global leader in AI,” and this program is focused on accelerating the necessary infrastructure and skills to turn that potential into long-term economic growth.
A $7 BILLION DATA CENTRE FOR ‘SOVEREIGN AI’
A centrepiece of the initiative is a collaboration with data centre operator NEXTDC to develop a massive, next-generation AI campus in Sydney’s Eastern Creek. This new facility will house a “GPU supercluster,” which is a powerful network of graphics processing units, to handle the complex computations needed for advanced AI, representing an expected multi-billion dollar investment.
The goal is to create “sovereign compute capacity,”giving Australia the local, secure infrastructure required to run critical AI systems for government, enterprise, and national services. Furthermore, the project is expected to create thousands of skilled and indirect jobs during construction, as well as long-term technical and operational roles, while expanding opportunities for Australian manufacturers and suppliers.
AI SKILLS FOR AUSTRALIANS
In a major push to prepare the Australian workforce for the future, OpenAI is teaming up with three of the country’s most well-known companies: CommBank, Coles, and Wesfarmers (owner of Bunnings, Kmart, and Target). The goal of this alliance is to roll out essential AI skills training to over 1.2 million Australian workers and small businesses. Using the OpenAI Academy platform, Coles and Wesfarmers will launch customized training programs for their entire workforces, ensuring they are equipped with the practical skills needed for the AI era. Critically, CommBank will make its AI training modules available to 1 million small business customers across the country, aiming to give them the confidence and skills to use AI to boost their own productivity and competitiveness. CommBank CEO Matt Comyn highlighted the importance of this, noting that many small business owners “don’t have the time or confidence” to explore AI, and this initiative aims to change that by providing accessible, tailored training starting in 2026.
BACKING AUSSIE STARTUPS
Acknowledging Australia’s strong track record of producing successful startups like Canva and Atlassian, OpenAI is also launching its first local startup program. In partnership with leading local venture capital firms like Blackbird, Square Peg, and AirTree, the program will offer up to USD $15,000 in API credits for participating startups, along with technical mentorship from OpenAI engineers and access to expert workshops on scaling and safety. This comprehensive program, which includes an annual Founder Day event, is a clear signal of OpenAI’s long-term commitment to Australia, aiming to unlock significant productivity and growth across the entire economy, from major corporations down to small businesses and startups.
