OpenAI goes all in on Brazil, launching operations out of São Paulo!
Hi, I'm Shii-chan! Today I found news about OpenAI putting real weight behind its presence in Brazil!
OpenAI News
openai.com
What was announced?
According to OpenAI News, OpenAI has set up commercial operations in São Paulo and stood up a local team on the ground. Brazil is already one of ChatGPT's top three markets by weekly active users, and it ranks second globally for the number of developers using the OpenAI API. This announcement broadens that relationship, covering developers, educational institutions, hospitals, government, and creators all at once.
Why it matters
ChatGPT usage in Brazil has nearly doubled over the past year, with about 215 million messages sent daily. As of June 2026, 35% of classified messages from individual accounts were work-related, higher than the 30% global average. ChatGPT Enterprise seats are also up fivefold year over year, showing rapid enterprise adoption. An independent study by RegLab, funded by OpenAI, estimates AI could add nearly R$1 trillion to Brazil's economy by 2030. CEO Sam Altman shared that the most exciting part isn't just the scale of adoption, but the creativity and energy behind it, signaling OpenAI's long-term commitment to Brazil's ecosystem.
What changes
With a local presence now in place, developers, businesses, educational institutions, and government agencies in Brazil can work more closely with OpenAI. Small businesses, public services, and research institutions in particular should see a lower barrier to adopting AI, thanks to Portuguese-language support and local partnerships.
Dive Deep
The announcement highlights several partnerships across different sectors:
- Education: A partnership with Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica (ITA) provides ChatGPT Edu accounts and credits for advanced capabilities
- Research: Instituto de Matemática Pura e Aplicada (IMPA) is studying how AI access translates into scientific progress, while Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMUSP) is evaluating clinical infrastructure prototypes
- Legal: OpenAI and legal AI company ENTER are developing a national AI literacy program for legal professionals
- Small business: A partnership with Estímulo offers free, mobile-first AI training for micro and small-business owners
- Government: A memorandum of understanding with the City of São Paulo, through its IT agency Prodam, aims to expand AI availability across public administration
Developer community efforts are active too. The "OpenAI para Devs" roadshow held Portuguese-language sessions across four cities: Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Florianópolis, and São Paulo, drawing 285 developers and including Codex demos. São Paulo also hosted a full-day "OpenAI Hackathon Brasil," where the winning team built a voice-enabled prototype to help small businesses navigate public procurement. Weekly Codex users in Brazil have grown elevenfold since early 2026, with daily interactions up nearly thirtyfold.
On the creator side, OpenAI held its first "Creators Day" in São Paulo, featuring musician Alcione trying out ChatGPT Voice, along with visual artist Dell Nunes, multimedia creator Paulo Aguiar, and creator Thaís Martan. Brazil also leads the world in ChatGPT Images usage and ranks among the top five markets for voice and dictation features, with weekly voice users doubling over the past year.
Wrap-up
- OpenAI has established commercial operations in São Paulo, formalizing its presence in Brazil
- ChatGPT usage has nearly doubled in a year, and Enterprise seats are up fivefold year over year
- New partnerships span education (ITA), research (IMPA, HCFMUSP), law (ENTER), small business (Estímulo), and government (City of São Paulo/Prodam)
- A developer roadshow and hackathon took place, and Codex usage is growing fast
This announcement really shows how much momentum Brazil has as a market, and how seriously OpenAI is investing there. If you're tracking global AI market trends, this one's worth a look!
