OpenAI Launches Economic Research Exchange for AI Tools and Business

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way people work, businesses operate, and ideas are created and shared. To better understand these changes, OpenAI has launched a new program to support rigorous external research on the economic impacts of AI.

Through the OpenAI Economic Research Exchange, selected researchers will collaborate with OpenAI's Economic Research team to conduct high-impact studies using structured project-based collaborations. The goal is to produce credible and independent evidence on how AI affects workers, firms, institutions, and the broader economy.

Proposals for research projects are being accepted from experts in various fields, including applied causal inference, measurement, labor economics, productivity, and public finance. Researchers should explain how they plan to use OpenAI tools and datasets while maintaining clear safeguards for user privacy and responsible data use.

The Exchange builds on OpenAI's efforts to improve the measurement of AI's economic effects, including its Signals initiative. By supporting a portfolio of external research collaborations, OpenAI hopes to expand the evidence base available to researchers, policymakers, businesses, and the public as they navigate rapid technological change.

Proposals will be evaluated based on methodological rigor, feasibility, fit with Exchange priorities, clear milestones, and potential contributions to credible external evidence on AI's economic impacts. Selected researchers will undertake carefully scoped projects with defined milestones, data governance, and review processes.

Researchers interested in participating should submit their proposals by July 5, 2026. OpenAI will review submissions and notify selected researchers by July 31, 2026.