OpenAI launches search for student AI talent with ChatGPT 26 program

New initiative targets students using AI beyond the classroom, offering funding, access to tools, and visibility as competition for early-stage talent intensifies.

OpenAI has launched a new initiative to identify and support students building with AI, announcing a search for 26 individuals across the US and Canada as part of its ChatGPT 26 program.

The move highlights how AI companies are increasingly focusing on early talent pipelines as generative AI adoption expands across education, startups, and the workforce.

The program was shared via LinkedIn by Selena Ma, Recruiting Programs at OpenAI, who outlined the company’s plan to identify students already using AI to create projects, tools, and new opportunities beyond traditional academic pathways.

She wrote: “Today we’re launching a search to find 26 remarkable students (18 - 25, based in the US or Canada) creating new possibilities with AI.”

She added: “The Class of 2026 will graduate as the first class to go through the college experience with ChatGPT.”

Focus on students already building with AI

The initiative targets students and recent graduates who are actively using AI to extend their capabilities, rather than those at an early experimentation stage. OpenAI is positioning the program around what it describes as “high-agency” individuals who are building products, launching projects, or applying AI in practical contexts.

Ma wrote: “We’ve watched as the most high-agency students used AI to extend their own capabilities and create new opportunities beyond school—often in ways other generations never could.”

She added: “What used to require teams, money, and years of training can now start with self-belief, curiosity, and follow-through.”

Examples highlighted by OpenAI include students applying AI in areas such as scientific research, aviation training, small business tools, and study support platforms. These use cases point to a shift from AI as a support tool to AI as a core building layer for new products and services.

Funding, access, and visibility offered to selected cohort

Selected participants will receive a package of support that combines funding, access to OpenAI tools, and exposure across the company’s channels. This includes a $10,000 grant, API credits, and a ChatGPT Pro subscription, alongside an invitation to visit OpenAI’s headquarters in San Francisco.

Ma wrote: “We’re eager to celebrate and support a special few this spring — connecting them in community, hosting them at HQ in SF, sharing their story, giving them access to our latest tech, and gifting a $10K grant to keep pushing their ideas forward.”

Participants will also be connected to a peer network and invited to take part in ongoing discussions and optional sessions with OpenAI teams.

Early talent strategy becomes more structured

The launch of ChatGPT 26 signals a more structured approach to engaging with student developers and early-stage builders. While AI tools have already seen widespread use across education, programs like this suggest a shift toward identifying and supporting individuals who are moving from use to creation.

Eligibility is limited to individuals aged 18 to 25 based in the US or Canada, with applications open until March 30. Teams of up to three people can apply, and nominations are also accepted.

For the EdTech sector, the program reflects how AI is reshaping expectations around student capability, with increasing emphasis on applied skills, independent projects, and real-world outcomes rather than formal pathways alone.

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