OpenAI challenges LinkedIn: This is how it wants to revolutionize the labor market with AI.

Who will hire you in 2026: a human resources manager or an AI? OpenAI believes at least a hybrid process will be safe, and in the process, it aims to take over LinkedIn's pie.

OpenAI has announced the development of a new AI-powered hiring platform, called OpenAI Jobs Platform , which aims to connect companies and employees with improved accuracy through the use of AI. Fidji Simo, CEO of Applications at OpenAI, said the goal is to "find perfect matches between what companies need and what workers can offer."

The service will have a dedicated track for small businesses and local governments, and is expected to launch in mid-2026. Additionally, OpenAI will offer AI fluency certifications through its OpenAI Academy initiative, in partnership with Walmart, with the ambitious goal of certifying 10 million Americans by 2030.

Remember the last time you updated your LinkedIn profile hoping that keyword would attract the right algorithm? Now imagine if, instead of a passive filter, artificial intelligence analyzes your background, your skills, your interests, and connects you directly with the company that truly needs what you know how to do. That's the promise OpenAI is making, and it's no small feat.

The announcement of its new Jobs Platform , planned for 2026, puts the creator of ChatGPT on the direct path to one of the most mature—and hotly contested—sectors on the internet: professional recruiting. But OpenAI doesn't just want to compete. It wants to redefine how people find jobs in an economy transformed by automation, generative AI, and the progressive disappearance of traditional jobs. Are we looking at the LinkedIn of the future or something much more ambitious?

Since bursting onto the public scene in 2022 with ChatGPT, OpenAI has sought to be more than just a productivity tool. It wants to be a central infrastructure for the new digital paradigm. Its Jobs Platform is a natural fit from this perspective. The goal seems clear : to connect what companies are looking for with what workers can offer, but without human intermediaries. Just AI.

In an environment where job recommendations rely on networks, automated filters, and matching algorithms, OpenAI promises to raise the bar. Its platform will use its language models to interpret not only resumes, but also each candidate's aspirations, values, and life trajectories. A cross between a career counselor and an omnipresent headhunter.

This move represents a strategic shift. OpenAI is entering the business of practical applications (beyond chatbots), in the same space in which Microsoft, its largest partner and shareholder, is already investing heavily. And it does so at a time when the relationship between work and technology is more tense than ever.

OpenAI isn't ignoring the elephant in the room: artificial intelligence is eliminating jobs . According to Dario Amodei , CEO of Anthropic, up to 50% of entry-level office jobs could disappear by 2030. Altman's company doesn't deny this diagnosis, but proposes a palliative solution: train, certify, and reconnect.

Thus was born the OpenAI Academy , a training and certification program on "AI fluency" that, in the company's words, will allow millions of people to adapt to new work demands. The initial goal: to certify 10 million workers in the US over the next five years. Among the first partners is none other than Walmart , the world's largest private employer, which gives an idea of ​​the scope of this initiative.

If jobs change, talent must evolve with them. But in this new AI-mediated knowledge economy, college degrees won't be enough. Specific tests of technical skills, the ability to interact with language models, prompt design, and digital competencies that aren't yet included in school curricula will be required.

The real battle is not just against Microsoft-owned LinkedIn . It's also against other professional matchmaking platforms like Indeed, Glassdoor, Upwork, and Fiverr , all of which are threatened by a platform that promises algorithmic accuracy, real-time adaptability, and an interface entirely powered by artificial intelligence.

In addition, OpenAI's proposal introduces two disruptive elements:

• A dedicated channel for small businesses and local governments , two segments historically underserved by large employment platforms.
• An AI trained not only in language, but also in human behavior and hiring patterns , capable of predicting what type of worker will last longer, be more satisfied, and be more productive in a given environment.

The challenge is both technological and ethical. How will fairness be ensured in algorithms? What protection will candidates have against automated decisions? What role will remain for HR professionals if AI is faster, more accurate, and, theoretically, more impartial?

At a recent dinner with journalists, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman confirmed that Fidji Simo will lead initiatives beyond the Jobs Platform. According to leaks, OpenAI is also working on a browser and some sort of social network , yet to be revealed, suggesting an ambitious multi-channel deployment strategy.

The logic is understandable: if you already have the language infrastructure and data from millions of users through ChatGPT, why not use it to create integrated products that compete with Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, and more?

Each of these moves signals a larger intention: OpenAI wants to move beyond being just the engine behind third-party products and become a creator of its own experiences. Just as Apple and Amazon did in their time. And like them, it will also seek to control the interface, the channel, and the community.

What OpenAI proposes with its Jobs Platform is not just a redesign of the resume, but a reinvention of the value of work in the age of artificial intelligence. What does it mean to be qualified when the criteria are defined by a machine? How much weight will a certification issued by OpenAI have compared to a traditional master's degree? What role will governments play in regulating these new forms of assessment and hiring?