OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has selected London as the location for its first international office, providing a boost to the UK's efforts to remain competitive in the field of artificial intelligence. The San Francisco-based company, known for its popular chatbot, announced its plans to expand outside the US by establishing an office in the UK capital.

The new London office will support OpenAI's endeavour's in developing "safe AGI," referring to artificial general intelligence that surpasses human intelligence. Diane Yoon, OpenAI's head of human resources, expressed excitement about extending the company's research and development presence to London, a city renowned for its vibrant culture and talented workforce.

OpenAI, backed by substantial investments from Microsoft, stated that the focus of the London office would be on research and engineering. Although the company did not disclose the opening date or the number of employees, it has already advertised several positions, including a security engineer and a head of UK policy, for the new office.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, emphasised the opportunity to attract top talent and drive innovation in AGI development and policy through this expansion. The company aims to make significant contributions to the advancement and responsible deployment of safe AI.

The announcement from OpenAI has been met with positive reactions. Chloe Smith, the secretary of state for science, innovation, and technology, considers it a vote of confidence in the UK's AI capabilities, while Russ Shaw, founder of Tech London Advocates, believes it will further enhance London's AI ecosystem and attract more investment and talent. The UK government, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, is actively working to position the country as a leader in AI regulation and innovation, recognising the potential of AI in shaping the future of technology. London already houses prominent AI companies like Google's DeepMind, and the UK's academic contributions in the field are widely acknowledged.