Great talent and resources, but toxic - Member Of Technical Staff OpenAI Employee Review

3.0
Aug 24, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

A lot of high-profile talent, compute, good salary. Many of the problems are ambitious. Can move very fast (though quality and long-term planning may be terrible). Good for technical growth.

Cons

Opaque management, constant scandals, high rates of firings. Growth problems, hiring toxic people which take advantage of the opaque structure. Not much expertise outside of the main domains, surprisingly bad in some cases. It looks like the management thinking that they cracked llms so everything else is simple. Cult-like company culture. Some people are even proud of having a poor WLB.

Explore other reviews about OpenAI

5.0
Jun 5, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

high talent density, good research culture, good TC. compute generally isn't an issue. people are very serious and in it to win it. sama is very competent

Cons

has become googleified as time goes on, more top-down. employees are also somewhat entitled/spoiled when dealing with leadership (some may not see this as a downside though)

1.0
May 27, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

good pay and benefits, some smart people

Cons

The leadership is extremely reactive. Instead of having a plan and sticking to it, they change the course where the competition blows. It's basically like they dont trust their own plan and trust competition instead. No culture, it's just a rat race. Work life balance as you should expect in a cult like environment is non existent. You are indefinitely on call to fix the issues other internal teams break. hire the brightest to baby sit AI and do support work.

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