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Upwork’s AI push is also marked by high-profile partnerships. Notably, in mid-2023 Upwork partnered with OpenAI (the creator of ChatGPT) to launch the “OpenAI Experts on Upwork” program. This co-designed initiative gives OpenAI customers and other businesses direct access to pre-vetted freelance experts in OpenAI technologies. The program draws from over 250 AI-related skills on Upwork (including GPT-4, Whisper, and ML integration) and uses Upwork talent managers to curate specialists for clients’ AI projects. “Partnering with a pioneer like OpenAI helps us deliver access to the specialized talent businesses need to achieve their most ambitious AI initiatives,” said Dave Bottoms, emphasizing that through such strategic alliances “we aim to make Upwork the preeminent destination for AI-related talent and work.” This partnership not only funnels more AI work to Upwork’s freelancers but also showcases Upwork’s commitment to responsible AI deployment (OpenAI’s team noted the goal of ensuring AI models are used beneficially with skilled oversight).

In addition to organic product development, Upwork has made targeted acquisitions to bolster its AI capabilities. In late 2024, the company acquired Objective AI, Inc., an AI-native search technology firm, to enhance Upwork’s search and matching algorithms. The Objective AI team and tech were swiftly integrated to improve talent-client matching on the platform – an investment already yielding “promising effects on gross services volume” according to Upwork’s CEO. These moves underscore that Upwork is not just adding AI features superficially – it’s infusing AI into the platform’s very infrastructure, from search to customer support, to create what management calls a “truly AI-native platform.”

Executive Vision: “AI + Humans” at the Heart of Upwork

Upwork’s top executives are unabashedly vocal that AI is central to the company’s future. CEO Hayden Brown frequently highlights how AI is the next seismic shift in technology – and that Upwork intends to lead this shift in the work marketplace space. “Upwork has helped businesses reinvent through every work transformation of the last 20 years... With AI being the next and biggest paradigm shift, Upwork is becoming the critical infrastructure for enabling the combination of humans and AI to work together to achieve business outcomes,” Brown said on a recent earnings call. She pointed out that while “AI is rapidly changing every company from the smallest startups to the largest enterprises,” a major AI skills gap exists – with 63% of employers saying lack of AI skills is a top barrier – and that Upwork is a “critical resource” for organizations navigating this transformation. In other words, Upwork sees itself as the bridge connecting companies to the talent needed to implement AI, just as it did for prior tech booms (from cloud to mobile).