One day before OpenAI's release of the latest artificial intelligence (AI) model 'GPT-5', it was reported by the IT specialist media outlet The Verge on Dec. 12 (local time) that the company paid out special bonuses totaling up to millions of dollars (tens of billions of won) to its employees.
The bonuses target about 1,000 research and development personnel, which is approximately one-third of the total workforce. The amounts vary based on job roles and ranks, with researchers dedicated to the development of GPT-5 reportedly receiving up to millions of dollars. Employees can choose to receive their bonuses in cash or OpenAI stock, and the amounts will be distributed quarterly over the next two years.
CEO Sam Altman noted in a message to employees on the company messaging platform Slack on the 7th, "I appreciate the great efforts of our employees in building artificial general intelligence (AGI)" and added, "OpenAI has been reviewing the compensation structure for our tech team in line with market trends." He further stated, "As a company, we plan to continue to improve while increasing compensation."
In the industry, while OpenAI's bonus payments are nominally attributed to the release of 'GPT-5', the actual purpose is seen as a measure to prevent the outflow of key personnel amid the intensifying competition for AI talent. Recently, Meta has established the 'Superintelligence Research Lab' and invested substantial funds to recruit AI talents from competitors. It has been reported that more than 10 researchers from OpenAI have moved to Meta during this process.