OpenAI is seeking to hire an investment banker for its artificial intelligence division.

      OpenAI is looking to hire an investment-banking "subject matter expert" for its Applied AI team, offering a salary between $185K and $205K plus equity, to establish the quality standards for AI-assisted banking tasks. This development indicates OpenAI's expansion into finance, a highly profitable sector for enterprise AI, where it competes with Anthropic. The position focuses on training models to determine when to automate basic analyst tasks and when to defer to human judgment.

      The company’s job posting emphasizes the need for a “subject matter expert” with at least two years of experience in investment banking for its Applied AI team based in San Francisco. According to Business Insider, the base salary is set at $185,000 to $205,000, in addition to equity, which has gained significance since OpenAI took initial private steps towards an anticipated IPO last month.

      The hired expert will be responsible for “defining the quality bar for AI-assisted investment banking work,” which includes familiarity with research, financial modeling, valuation, due diligence, and the materials that make up a banker’s daily tasks. The role emphasizes the importance of judgment in addition to execution; OpenAI seeks someone who comprehends the progression from junior analyst to director and can identify where AI should take over a task, assist in decision-making, or remain subject to human scrutiny.

      This isn't OpenAI’s first initiative in this area, as the company is part of a broader effort to recruit professionals with finance backgrounds. Both banks and AI research labs are offering former Wall Street employees up to $25,000 per day to help train models based on their previous work experiences.

      Finance presents one of the most lucrative opportunities in enterprise AI, which is why many AI labs are focusing on it. Anthropic noted in May that financial services constitute its second-largest sector by enterprise revenue, with a $1.5 billion pipeline directed towards Wall Street to capitalize on this opportunity.

      OpenAI is tackling this challenge on multiple fronts, having recently established a multibillion-dollar Deployment Company with investments from firms including Goldman Sachs. Additionally, it is directing ChatGPT towards personal finance to broaden its scope from trading to everyday banking.

      In terms of technology spending, banks are investing heavily, with JPMorgan allocating $18 billion annually and Goldman Sachs $6 billion. Goldman has also supported OpenAI’s cybersecurity initiative, while JPMorgan partnered early on in Anthropic’s competing Glasswing program.

      The straightforward message to banks is clear: let AI handle the repetitive tasks usually performed by analysts. This aligns with the automation strategy that Citi’s Jane Fraser has identified as a significant factor reshaping the industry.

      OpenAI demonstrated its capabilities in finance during the launch of GPT-5.5 in April, and a broader release of GPT-5.6 is prepared but currently on hold at the request of the Trump administration. The models are rapidly advancing in capability, outpacing their rollout schedules.

      By bringing a banker on board to assess the AI's outputs, OpenAI aims to bridge the gap between impressive demonstrations and the work that a managing director would approve. The emphasis on tasks commonly performed by junior analysts is evident in the job listing.