OpenAI unveils nationwide AI push & skills drive for Australia

OpenAI has announced a nationwide initiative, OpenAI for Australia, which will combine new data centre infrastructure, skills programmes and startup support with local partners across the country.

The programme is the first OpenAI for Countries initiative in the Asia Pacific region. It will sit alongside agreements with Australian corporates, a planned hyperscale AI campus near Sydney and a new startup scheme.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, said, "Australia is well placed to be a global leader in AI, with deep technical talent, strong institutions and a clear ambition to use new technology to lift productivity. Through OpenAI for Australia, we are focused on accelerating the infrastructure, workforce skills and local ecosystem needed to turn that opportunity into long-term economic growth."

Sovereign infrastructure

OpenAI has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with data centre operator NEXTDC. The agreement sets out plans for a sovereign AI infrastructure partnership under the OpenAI for Australia programme.

The companies will work together on the planning, development and operation of a next-generation hyperscale AI campus at NEXTDC's S7 site in Eastern Creek, Sydney. The campus will include a large-scale GPU supercluster.

OpenAI intends to be an initial offtaker of the infrastructure. The organisation has the option to scale usage over time under the broader OpenAI for Countries programme.

The infrastructure is expected to provide sovereign compute capacity within Australia. OpenAI says this will support sensitive and mission-critical workloads across government, business, research and national infrastructure sectors.

NEXTDC's S7 site is expected to drive multi-year construction activity. The project is forecast to support thousands of skilled and indirect jobs over its build period.

The operator and its partners expect long-term technical and operational roles in AI and digital infrastructure at the campus. The project team also expects expanded opportunities for local manufacturers, engineers and suppliers.

The companies say the new capacity will support faster AI adoption across industry and government. They also link the development to pathways for STEM and AI skills growth in the Australian workforce.

Workforce skills push

OpenAI is pairing the infrastructure plans with a large skills initiative. The organisation will work with Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Coles and Wesfarmers on AI training programmes.

The partners aim to roll out essential AI skills training to more than 1.2 million Australian workers and small businesses. The focus is on AI literacy and practical use in day-to-day work.

The training will run through OpenAI Academy. This is OpenAI's AI literacy training platform. It offers structured courses on foundational AI topics.

Coles and Wesfarmers will roll out tailored OpenAI Academy programmes to their entire workforces. The courses will focus on practical skills for the use of AI tools in different roles across their operations.

Commonwealth Bank will make OpenAI Academy training modules available for 1 million small business customers across Australia. The bank will offer these as part of its support for digital tools in the small business sector.

OpenAI's in-house AI experts will work with the three organisations on bespoke learning modules. The material will draw on Australian case studies and specific use cases.

A national rollout of OpenAI Academy courses created with the three partners is scheduled to begin in 2026. The organisations describe it as one of the largest coordinated AI skills initiatives in Australia.

CommBank is positioning the work within its existing support for small business customers.

"Small businesses are the backbone of Australia's economy and the engine of our communities, but too many small business owners tell us they simply don't have the time or confidence to explore how AI could help them. We want every small business to feel confident using digital technologies such as AI, whether they're starting, running, or growing their business," said Matt Comyn, CEO, Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

Backing startups

OpenAI is also targeting Australian technology startups through a new programme. The initiative follows strong local adoption of its platform by software and services firms.

The company will launch its first startup programme in Australia in partnership with local venture capital firms. Blackbird, Square Peg and AirTree will take part in the delivery of the scheme.

OpenAI will offer participating startups up to USD $15,000 in API credits. The firm will also offer technical mentorship from its engineers and global experts.

Startups will gain access to workshops on scaling, compliance and safety. They can receive additional API credits when they take part in technical workshops.

The startup initiative will sit alongside an annual Founder Day event that OpenAI plans to hold in Australia. The event will bring together entrepreneurs for product sessions, demonstrations and guidance as they build on top of OpenAI's technology.

OpenAI plans further expansion of its OpenAI for Countries model. The Australian programme will act as a reference point for future country-level initiatives in the region.