How to answer "Why OpenAI?" interview question (+ example)

By Timothy Agbola Last updated: June 04, 2026 How we wrote this article

Today, we're going to give you four actionable steps that will help you craft the perfect answer to "Why OpenAI?". You can complete all of these steps in a matter of hours.

"Why OpenAI?" is one of the most common questions you'll face in the OpenAI interview process. Whether it comes up on your written application or in your first recruiter call, it's important to come prepared with a specific and memorable answer.

Our first tip: do your research!

Let's jump right into it.

Learn why interviewers ask this question
Study up on OpenAI
Write out your answer
Practice your answer out loud

Click here to practice 1-on-1 with expert tech interviewers

1. Learn why interviewers ask this question

Working at a leading AI company is fast-paced and high-stakes, and OpenAI is no exception. You'll be working on products used by hundreds of millions of people, in an environment where priorities shift quickly as research breakthroughs happen.

Interviewers ask, "Why do you want to work at OpenAI?" to gauge your motivation and whether it will last. OpenAI's operating principles emphasize individual ownership and autonomy. People who show up without clear reasons for choosing the company specifically tend to struggle in that environment. If your interviewer gets the impression that you're mainly drawn by the salary, or that you’re just looking to work at a top AI company, they won't be convinced.

OpenAI also wants to get an idea of how well you’ve prepared for your interviews and researched the company in advance. As they make major decisions based on data, they’re looking for candidates who know how to do research and gather facts.

Showing up on interview day with a clear list of specific reasons why you’d like to work for OpenAI is a good way to show the interviewer that you fit the profile they’re looking for.

1.1 How to formulate a great answer

Here are the components of a great answer:

Tips to formulate your answer for “Why do you want to work at OpenAI?”

Network. If you can, speak with a current or former OpenAI employee before your interview, ideally someone from the team you're applying to. Ask them what drew them to the company and what makes it different from other AI employers. Specific details from those conversations make for compelling talking points, and mentioning the exchange shows you've put in effort.
Make it personal. If an OpenAI product has shaped how you work or think, say so. If a specific research paper or model capability caught your attention, bring it up. Concrete personal connections are far more persuasive than general enthusiasm for AI.
Make it specific. Your answer should not apply to any other company. Try swapping "OpenAI" for "Anthropic" or "Google DeepMind." If the answer still works, you need to go further. OpenAI has a distinct mission, a specific product portfolio, and a particular culture. Use those details.
Give more than one reason. Aim for two or three distinct reasons. One reason alone rarely feels like a complete answer; more than three starts to feel like a list rather than a genuine point of view.
Talk about your team and role. OpenAI is a relatively small company for its level of influence. The reasons you want to work on a specific team matter as much as your reasons for wanting to join the company. Connect your background to the work you'd actually be doing.
Keep it balanced. Enthusiasm is good; empty praise is not. Calling OpenAI "the most important company in the world" doesn't help your answer. Give real reasons, and let the interviewer draw their own conclusions.

1.2 Common pitfalls

Before moving on to the next step, take a moment to review the most common mistakes candidates make when answering this question.

Common pitfalls in answering the "Why OpenAI?" interview and application question

Common pitfalls in answering “Why OpenAI?” interview question

Answer is too broad. Saying "I want to work on cutting-edge AI" or "the team here is incredibly talented" are answers that could apply to dozens of companies. Interviewers have heard them many times. Make your answer more specific and personal.
Answer is too long. This question often comes up at the start of a recruiter screen, when the interviewer has a lot of ground to cover. Aim for a response you can deliver in roughly one minute. If it goes longer than that, the answer probably has details that can be cut.
Answer lacks structure. Think of two or three reasons and describe each one in turn. Without structure, the answer tends to ramble, and the interviewer may not be able to follow your reasoning.
Answer sounds like marketing copy. Restating OpenAI's mission statement back at the interviewer, or using phrases straight from the careers page, doesn't demonstrate genuine engagement. Put things in your own words and add your own perspective.

2. Study up on OpenAI ↑

It's time to start putting together the components of your answer. That means learning about OpenAI in depth.

As we mentioned in our tips, speaking with current or former OpenAI employees is one of the best ways to get a grounded view of the company. You can also learn a lot from candidate reports and official company resources.

Here are some good places to start:

OpenAI's values and operating principles (by OpenAI)
OpenAI Charter (by OpenAI)
OpenAI research (by OpenAI)
OpenAI blog (by OpenAI)
OpenAI interview experiences on Glassdoor (by Glassdoor)

You'll also want to tailor your answer to the role you're applying for. If you'd like more information about top roles at OpenAI, including practice questions and preparation tips, take a look at one of our interview guides:

Once you have a sense of the company as a whole, you'll need one or two specific details that you can use to personalise your answer.

2.1 What sets OpenAI apart

There are many similarities between leading AI companies that can make the "Why do you want to work here?" question hard to answer with specificity.

So we've put together a few distinct facts about OpenAI that you can draw on to make your answer as specific and personal as possible.

What sets OpenAI apart

The scale is real. ChatGPT reached 200 million weekly active users by 2025, a level of reach that few technology products achieve so quickly. If you're motivated by building things that affect how people live and work, this is worth saying. If OpenAI's products have made a concrete difference in your own work, say that too.
The AGI mission shapes the work. OpenAI's Charter states the company's goal as ensuring that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity. This influences which problems get prioritised and how teams think about tradeoffs. If this mission resonates personally, explain why, and be specific about what draws you to the AGI problem itself.
Individual ownership is expected. One of OpenAI's operating principles is "Find a way." The company gives individuals and teams genuine agency to identify problems and drive solutions, with relatively little hierarchy. As noted in our OpenAI interview process guide, you're expected to take ownership with minimal direction. If you've thrived in environments like this, or felt held back by the opposite, this is worth bringing up.
Research and product development happen in close proximity. At many companies, research and engineering operate in separate silos. At OpenAI, the two are closely integrated, with researchers working alongside engineers and product teams on the same problems. If working at that intersection interests you, it's a specific and credible reason to give.
The culture is flat and title-light. Many people at OpenAI carry the title "Member of Technical Staff," including people who held senior titles elsewhere. The focus is on the quality of work rather than seniority. If that kind of environment appeals to you, especially if you've experienced the alternative, it's a genuine reason worth mentioning.

3. Write out your answer ↑

Using the information above, put together a list of two or three distinct reasons for wanting to work at OpenAI. Your list can include information from the resources we've pointed you to, details from conversations in your network, facts from your own research, and reasons drawn from your personal experience.

Using this list, write out your complete answer to "Why OpenAI?". Once you have a draft, edit it. Keep the most relevant information and cut the rest. You should be able to speak through it in one minute or less.

To give you some inspiration, here's a sample answer below. Notice that it is specific to OpenAI, takes under a minute to read aloud, and connects the candidate's background to concrete details about the company.

Sample answer: Why do you want to work at OpenAI?

“I want to work at OpenAI for three reasons.

The first is the research-to-product pipeline. I've been following the O-series models closely, and what interests me is that OpenAI seems to be the place where those research breakthroughs get turned into things people use, at real scale. That combination is rare, and it's the kind of environment I've been looking for.

Second, I spoke with a former member of OpenAI's infrastructure team (Solomon) a few weeks ago, and she described a culture where engineers are expected to identify problems and drive solutions without waiting for direction. That matches how I work best. At my current company, I've had to push hard to create that kind of autonomy. It sounds like at OpenAI, it's the default.

Third, and the most personal reason: I've been using the API in my own projects for the past year, and the gap between what it could do then and what it does now genuinely surprised me. Working at the company, driving that pace of improvement is something I find hard to find anywhere else.”

Notice what this answer does: it's specific, it names real research and people, it connects to the candidate's professional interests, and it explains why these reasons matter to them personally. It doesn't apply to any other company.

For more guidance on structuring this kind of answer, watch the video below. It was made for Google PM candidates, but the framework applies equally to any role or company, including OpenAI.

4. Practice your answer out loud ↑

You’ve made it to the last step of preparing your answer to “Why OpenAI?”

By now, you should have an answer written out and edited down to the most pertinent information. It’s time to practice speaking through your answer so that you’re able to recite it naturally, without missing any key details.

Here are two steps to prepare for this:

4.1 Practice on your own

If you haven’t already, recite your answer and time yourself. If it is longer than one minute, edit your answer down even more.

Recite your answer a few more times until you are able to speak through it easily, without having to refer to your notes. Ideally, it should not sound too rehearsed, while managing to hit each of the main points.

Film yourself speaking through your answer to get a sense of how you deliver it. Make note of your body language, as well as places you may be stumbling over important details or speaking too mechanically.

Repeat this process until you’re able to answer the question enthusiastically, with engaging body language and a smooth response.

If you're looking into other AI/ML-forward tech companies, we also recommend reading the following company-specific guides:

Nvidia

Anthropic

4.2 Practice with peers

Try out your answer in an interview setting by doing mock interviews. If you have friends or peers who can do mock interviews with you, that's an option worth trying. It’s free, but be warned, you may come up against the following problems:

It’s hard to know if the feedback you get is accurate
They’re unlikely to have insider knowledge of interviews at your target company
On peer platforms, people often waste your time by not showing up

For those reasons, many candidates skip peer mock interviews and go straight to mock interviews with an expert.

4.3 Practice with experienced interviewers

In our experience, practicing with someone who has actually interviewed at OpenAI makes a significant difference. You get accurate feedback, company-specific insights, and a realistic sense of how your answer lands under real conditions.

Find an expert tech interview coach so you can:

Test yourself under real interview conditions
Get honest feedback from someone who knows what OpenAI looks for
Build confidence going into the real thing
Learn how to tell the right stories, and how to tell them well

Landing a job at a big tech company often results in a $50,000 per year or more increase in total compensation. In our experience, three or four coaching sessions worth ~$500 make a significant difference in your ability to land the job. That’s an ROI of 100x!

Click here to book mock interviews with experienced tech interviewers.