TL;DR
OpenAI launched commercial operations in Brazil on August 27, establishing a local team in São Paulo to work with businesses, developers, researchers and public institutions. The company also announced education, research, legal training, small-business and public-sector collaborations, but did not disclose the size of its team or financial commitment.
OpenAI launched commercial operations in Brazil on August 27, establishing a local team in São Paulo as use of ChatGPT, Codex and its business products grows across the country. The company said the team will work with Brazilian businesses, developers, researchers and public institutions, marking a broader commitment to one of ChatGPT’s biggest markets.
Brazil is one of ChatGPT’s three largest markets by weekly active users, according to OpenAI. The company said its user base in the country has nearly doubled over the past year and now generates about 215 million ChatGPT messages per day. In June 2026, work-related requests represented 35% of classified messages from individual Brazilian accounts, compared with 30% globally.
Developer and business use is also rising. OpenAI said Brazil ranks second worldwide by number of OpenAI API developers and is Codex’s largest market in Latin America. Since the start of 2026, weekly Codex users in Brazil have increased more than elevenfold, while daily interactions have risen nearly thirtyfold. The company also reported a fivefold year-over-year increase in ChatGPT Enterprise seats and placed Brazil among its ten largest markets by number of business customers.
The expansion includes partnerships covering education, scientific research and professional training. OpenAI will provide ChatGPT Edu accounts and advanced-capability credits to the Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica. Grants will support work at the Instituto de Matemática Pura e Aplicada and the Hospital das Clínicas of the University of São Paulo Medical School, including research into AI-enabled scientific work and a clinical information infrastructure prototype for Brazil’s public health system.
Expanding OpenAI’s Presence in Brazil
OpenAI has launched commercial operations in Brazil, establishing a São Paulo team to work directly with businesses, developers, researchers and public institutions. The move formalizes a presence in one of ChatGPT’s largest and fastest-growing markets.
Demand was already established
The local launch follows rapid consumer, developer and enterprise adoption. It does not introduce OpenAI to Brazil; it creates a closer operating layer around activity already taking place at scale.
Work-related ChatGPT use
Share of classified messages from individual accounts in June 2026.
Brazil’s product footprint
Multiple formats and use cases are growing alongside text chat.
From local access to scaled deployment
The São Paulo operation is positioned as a practical bridge between product adoption and institution-level implementation.
Meet local organizations
Engage businesses, developers, researchers and public institutions directly.
Identify useful applications
Map AI opportunities across operations, services, software and customer work.
Build skills and governance
Train teams and establish safeguards before wider deployment.
Expand proven programs
Use measurable outcomes to guide broader organizational adoption.
Six pathways into Brazilian institutions
The announced collaborations span education, scientific research, healthcare, professional training, small-business support and public administration.
ITA
ChatGPT Edu accounts and advanced-capability credits for the Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica.
IMPA
Grant support for research into AI-enabled scientific work at the Instituto de Matemática Pura e Aplicada.
HCFMUSP
A clinical information infrastructure prototype connected to Brazil’s public health system.
ENTER
An AI literacy program designed for legal professionals and responsible professional use.
Estímulo
Mobile-focused training intended to help small-business owners apply AI tools.
São Paulo + Prodam
A memorandum of understanding concerning access to AI in public administrations.
| Initiative | Named partner | Defined mechanism | Public timeline | Measurable target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University access | ITA | ✓Accounts and credits | ✗Not stated | ~Not detailed |
| Research grants | IMPA and HCFMUSP | ✓Grant-backed projects | ✗Not stated | ~Projects identified |
| Professional training | ENTER and Estímulo | ✓Training programs | ✗Not stated | ✗Participant count absent |
| Public-sector access | São Paulo and Prodam | ~Memorandum signed | ✗No deployment date | ✗Terms not detailed |
A major projection with major conditions
An OpenAI-funded RegLab study estimates that AI could add nearly R$1 trillion to Brazil’s economy by 2030. The figure is a modeled scenario, not a guaranteed result.
Nearly one trillion Brazilian reais in modeled potential economic value.
Skills
Workers and organizations need practical capability, not product access alone.
Research
Local scientific and institutional knowledge must shape useful applications.
Responsible deployment
Governance and safeguards are required before systems scale.
Cooperation
Public, private and academic institutions must coordinate implementation.
What remains unknown
The announcement established strategic direction but left several inputs and outcomes unspecified. These gaps will shape how the expansion can be evaluated.
Team size
No São Paulo staffing level, hiring target or recruitment timetable was disclosed.
Investment
No financial commitment, local spending plan or revenue forecast was provided.
Timelines
Several education, health, training and public-sector milestones remain undefined.
Participation
No target was given for the number of people or organizations receiving training.
Outcomes
Evaluation criteria for research, health and municipal projects were not specified.
Customer data
OpenAI did not release revenue, customer counts or adoption outside its own products.
How the expansion could become measurable
Brazil Becomes a Strategic AI Market
A local commercial operation gives OpenAI a base for working directly with customers and institutions in a market where consumer, developer and enterprise use is already high. The São Paulo team is expected to help organizations identify practical applications, train employees and establish governance before expanding AI deployments. That support could affect financial services, commerce, mobility, customer service, software development and internal operations.
The announcement also links OpenAI’s growth strategy to wider economic claims. A RegLab study funded by OpenAI estimates that AI could add nearly R$1 trillion to Brazil’s economy by 2030. That figure is an estimate rather than a measured outcome, and OpenAI acknowledged that reaching it would depend on skills, research, responsible deployment and institutional cooperation, not technology access alone.
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Adoption Preceded the Local Launch
OpenAI’s new operation follows rapid product adoption rather than introducing the company to Brazil for the first time. Brazilians already have the highest reported rate of ChatGPT Images use, according to the company, and Brazil is among the five largest markets for voice and dictation. Weekly voice users in the country have doubled over the past year.
OpenAI also held a Portuguese-language developer roadshow before the launch, bringing together 285 developers, founders and technical creators in Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Florianópolis and São Paulo. The program ended with a São Paulo hackathon where participants used Codex to develop projects aimed at Brazilian needs. The winning team created a public-procurement prototype for micro and small businesses using public data and voice input.
Other announced work includes an AI literacy program for legal professionals with ENTER, mobile-focused training for small-business owners with Estímulo, and a memorandum of understanding with São Paulo and municipal technology company Prodam concerning AI use in public administrations.
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Investment and Staffing Details Remain Open
OpenAI did not disclose the size of its São Paulo team, its planned investment in Brazil or expected hiring levels. The company pointed readers to open positions but gave no timetable for filling them. It also did not provide revenue figures, customer counts or a breakdown of adoption outside its own products.
Timelines and measurable goals for several partnerships remain unclear. The announcement did not specify how many people will receive training, when the health prototype will be evaluated or how the São Paulo public-sector agreement may develop. The R$1 trillion economic estimate is a modeled projection from an OpenAI-funded study, not a guaranteed result.
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São Paulo Team Begins Local Work
Attention will now turn to OpenAI’s hiring in São Paulo and the rollout of its education, research and training programs. Results from the university and health projects, participation figures for professional and small-business training, and any projects arising from the municipal agreement will provide early measures of the expansion’s reach.
OpenAI said the local team will continue meeting Brazilian organizations and developers to identify uses for its products. Future disclosures may clarify staffing, investment and partnership schedules, which were not included in the launch announcement.
Source: OpenAI
Brazilian language AI training datasets
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Key Questions
What did OpenAI announce in Brazil?
OpenAI announced commercial operations based in São Paulo, supported by a local team that will work with businesses, developers, researchers and public institutions.
How widely is ChatGPT used in Brazil?
OpenAI says Brazil is among ChatGPT’s three largest markets by weekly active users. Brazilian users send about 215 million messages each day, according to company data.
Which Brazilian institutions are involved?
Named participants include ITA, IMPA, HCFMUSP, ENTER, Estímulo and the city of São Paulo through Prodam. Their projects span education, research, health, legal training, small-business support and public administration.
How large is OpenAI’s investment in Brazil?
The company did not state an investment amount, staffing target or revenue forecast. Its announcement focused on the local operation, adoption data and partnerships.
Does the expansion include public-sector AI projects?
OpenAI and São Paulo, through Prodam, signed a memorandum of understanding related to making AI available to public administrations. The announcement did not provide a deployment schedule or detailed operating terms.
Source: OpenAI
