OpenAI to triple workforce at Dublin European headquarters to 350

DUBLIN, July 27 (Reuters) - OpenAI is to more than triple its headcount at its European headquarters in Dublin to 350, the ChatGPT maker said on Monday as it announced it was leasing 8,000 square meters (88,000 square feet) of office space in the city's Silicon Docks area.

The AI pioneer said it currently employs over 100 people at its Dublin office, which opened in 2023, and that it plans to hire 250 more over the next two years in both engineering and support operations.

Dublin is home to the European headquarters of a number of U.S. tech giants including Google owner Alphabet, Facebook owner Meta and Microsoft.

Foreign multinationals, mainly in the technology and pharmaceutical sectors, employ about 11% of Irish workers and often cite Ireland's highly educated workforce as a factor in their decision to locate there. Many are also attracted by the country's tax regime.

Some large technology companies such as Meta and TikTok have announced job cuts in their Irish operations during the past year and the government has pointed to AI as a priority for attracting new investment.

(Writing by Conor Humphries; editing by Sarah Young)