Privacy Policy

Welcome to the OpenAI website (including all websites to which this Privacy Policy is posted, the “Site”), which is operated by OpenAI, L.L.C. and its affiliates (collectively, “OpenAI,” “we”, “us” and/or “our”). This Site provides, among other things, information about our people, organization, technologies and research efforts, as well as information and tools for the process to apply for investments from OpenAI (collectively, the “Service”).

This Privacy Policy explains what Personal Information (defined below) we collect, how we use and share that data, and your choices concerning our data practices. This Privacy Policy is incorporated into and forms part of our Terms of Use. If you are a user or customer of the OpenAI API, then you will also be subject to all of the Terms & Policies of the OpenAI API (the “API Terms & Policies”), and in the event of any conflict between these Terms of Use and the API Terms & Policies, the latter will control.

Before using the Service or submitting any Personal Information to OpenAI, please review this Privacy Policy carefully. By using the Service, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to this Privacy Policy, please do not access the Site or otherwise use the Service.

1. PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

We collect information that alone or in combination with other information in our possession could be used to identify you (“Personal Information”) as follows:

Personal Information You Provide: We may collect Personal Information if you create an account, apply for an investment from the OpenAI Startup Fund (as defined below), or communicate with us as follows.

Application Information: If you submit an application to the OpenAI Startup Fund, Personal Information related to your application is governed by the section below titled “OpenAI Startup Fund Application Privacy Policy.” In the event of any conflict between the OpenAI Startup Fund Application Privacy Policy and any other portion of this Privacy Policy or our Terms of Use, the OpenAI Startup Fund Application Privacy Policy will control.

Communication Information: If you otherwise communicate with us, we may collect your name, contact information, and the contents of any messages you send (“Communication Information”).

Personal Information We Collect Through Our Social Media Pages: We have pages on social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, Medium, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn (“Social Media Pages”). When you interact with our Social Media Pages, we will collect Personal Information that you elect to provide to us, such as your contact details (“Social Information”). In addition, the companies that host our Social Media Pages may provide us with aggregate information and analytics regarding the use of our Social Media Pages.

Personal Information We Receive Automatically From Your Use of the Service: When you visit, use, and interact with the Service, we may receive certain information about your visit, use, or interactions (“Technical Information”). For example, we may monitor the number of people that visit the Service, peak hours of visits, which page(s) are visited, the domains our visitors come from (e.g., google.com, yahoo.com, etc.), and which browsers people use to access the Service (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer, etc.), broad geographical information, and navigation pattern. In particular, Technical Information includes the following, which is created and automatically logged in our systems:

  • Log data: Information that your browser automatically sends whenever you visit the Site (“log data”). Log data includes your Internet Protocol address, browser type and settings, the date and time of your request, and how you interacted with the Site.
  • Cookies: Please see the “Cookies” section below to learn more about how we use cookies.
  • Device information: Includes name of the device, operating system, and browser you are using. Information collected may depend on the type of device you use and its settings.
  • Usage Information: We collect information about how you use our Service, such as the types of content that you view or engage with, the features you use, the actions you take, and the time, frequency, and duration of your activities.

Cookies: We use cookies to operate and administer our Site, gather usage data on our Site, and improve your experience on it. A “cookie” is a piece of information sent to your browser by a website you visit. Cookies can be stored on your computer for different periods of time. Some cookies expire after a certain amount of time, or upon logging out (session cookies), others survive after your browser is closed until a defined expiration date set in the cookie (as determined by the third party placing it), and help recognize your computer when you open your browser and browse the Internet again (persistent cookies). For more details on cookies please visit All About Cookies.

Analytics: We may use a variety of online analytics products that use cookies to help us analyze how users use the Site and enhance your experience when you use the Site.

Online Tracking and Do Not Track Signals: We and our third party service providers may use cookies or other tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing activities over time and across different websites following your use of the Site. Our Site currently does not respond to “Do Not Track” (“DNT”) signals and operates as described in this Privacy Policy whether or not a DNT signal is received. If we do respond to DNT signals in the future, we will update this Privacy Policy to describe how we do so.

Your Choices: On most web browsers, you will find a “help” section on the toolbar. Please refer to this section for information on how to receive a notification when you are receiving a new cookie and how to turn cookies off. Please see the links below for guidance on how to modify your web browser’s settings on the most popular browsers:

Please note that if you limit the ability of websites to set cookies, you may be unable to access certain parts of the Site and you may not be able to benefit from the full functionality of the Site.

Advertising networks may use cookies to collect Personal Information. Most advertising networks offer you a way to opt out of targeted advertising. If you would like to find out more information, please visit the Network Advertising Initiative’s online resources at www.networkadvertising.org and follow the opt-out instructions there. If you access the Site on your mobile device, you may not be able to control tracking technologies through the settings.

2. HOW WE USE PERSONAL INFORMATION

We may use Personal Information for the following purposes:

  • To provide and administer access to the Service;
  • To conduct research, which may remain internal or may be shared with third parties, published or made generally available;
  • To inform you about services or events we believe might be of interest to you;
  • To respond to your inquiries, comments, feedback, or questions;
  • To send administrative information to you, for example, information regarding the Service and changes to our terms, conditions, and policies;
  • To analyze how you interact with our Service;
  • To maintain and improve the content and functionality of the Service;
  • To develop new programs and services;
  • To prevent fraud, criminal activity, or misuses of our Service, and to ensure the security of our IT systems, architecture, and networks; and
  • To comply with legal obligations and legal process and to protect our rights, privacy, safety, or property, and/or that of our affiliates, you, or other third parties.

Aggregated Information. We may aggregate Personal Information and use the aggregated information to analyze the effectiveness of our Service, to improve and add features to our Service, to conduct research (which may remain internal or may be shared with third parties, published or made generally available) and for other similar purposes. In addition, from time to time, we may analyze the general behavior and characteristics of users of our Services and share aggregated information like general user statistics with third parties, publish such aggregated information or make such aggregated information generally available. We may collect aggregated information through the Service, through cookies, and through other means described in this Privacy Policy.

3. SHARING AND DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

In certain circumstances we may share your Personal Information with third parties without further notice to you, unless required by the law, as set forth below:

  • Vendors and Service Providers: To assist us in meeting business operations needs and to perform certain services and functions, we may share Personal Information with vendors and service providers, including providers of hosting services, cloud services, and other information technology services providers, event management services, email communication software and email newsletter services, advertising and marketing services, and web analytics services. Pursuant to our instructions, these parties will access, process, or store Personal Information in the course of performing their duties to us.
  • Business Transfers: If we are involved in strategic transactions, reorganization, bankruptcy, receivership, or transition of service to another provider (collectively a “Transaction”), your Personal Information and other information may be shared in the diligence process with counterparties and others assisting with the Transaction and transferred to a successor or affiliate as part of that Transaction along with other assets.
  • Legal Requirements: If required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to (i) comply with a legal obligation, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements, (ii) protect and defend our rights or property, (iii) prevent fraud, (iv) act in urgent circumstances to protect the personal safety of users of the Services, or the public, or (v) protect against legal liability.
  • Affiliates: We may share Personal Information with our affiliates, meaning an entity that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with OpenAI. Our affiliates may use the Personal Information we share in a manner consistent with this Privacy Policy.
  • Other Users: certain actions you take may be visible to other users of the Service.

4. OPENAI STARTUP FUND APPLICATION PRIVACY POLICY

This section further describes OpenAI’s policies with respect to information that relates to or could reasonably be associated with an individual (“Personal Data”) and other information that is included in applications submitted to OpenAI for consideration for investments by one or more investment vehicles affiliated with OpenAI (collectively, the “OpenAI Startup Fund”).

Collection and Use of Application Information

In OpenAI Startup Fund applications, we collect Personal Data relating to founder(s) of the applicant company, such as names, email addresses, telephone numbers, education, employment history and the city/country in which they live, as well as information about the applicant company, such as the name, industry, and status of the company (together with Personal Data relating to founder(s) and any other information submitted in connection with the application process, “Application Information”). In addition, as part of the OpenAI Startup Fund application process, we may record interviews with founder(s) of the applicant company, and the content, recordings and information contained in such recordings are part of the Application Information governed by this OpenAI Startup Fund Application Privacy Policy.

We may use your Application Information for any OpenAI-related purpose. This includes, without limitation:

  • Compiling and publishing aggregated statistics regarding technology, companies, founders, industries, etc.
  • Tracking applicants, founders, industries, companies and application trends.

Disclosure of Application Information

Subject to the exceptions described below, if your company submits an application to OpenAI, we will not share your Application Information, other than for the purpose of evaluating your company’s application. When we share your Application Information for such evaluation purposes, we will use reasonable efforts to ensure that those evaluators (whether within or outside of OpenAI) agree to treat your Application Information confidentially.

We may also disclose your Application Information as set forth below:

  • Service Providers: To assist us in meeting business operations needs and to perform certain services and functions, we may share Application Information with service providers. Pursuant to our instructions, these parties may access, process, or store Application Information in the course of providing services to us.
  • Business Transfers: If we are involved in a Transaction, your Application Information may be shared in the diligence process with counterparties and others assisting with the Transaction and transferred to a successor or affiliate as part of that Transaction along with other assets.
  • Legal Requirements: If required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to (i) comply with a legal obligation, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements, (ii) protect and defend our rights or property, (iii) prevent fraud, (iv) act in urgent circumstances to protect the personal safety of users, or the public, or (v) protect against legal liability.
  • With Your Consent: In some circumstances, we may wish to share or make public certain Application Information, such as interview recordings, for purposes other than those disclosed in this OpenAI Startup Fund Application Privacy Policy, such as to highlight selected applicants. Before doing so, we will notify you and obtain your consent.

General Information Included in Applications

Due to the large number of applications and related materials that we receive and review, and the similarity of much of the information provided in such applications, we cannot accept responsibility for protecting against misuse or disclosure of any general information, knowledge or other materials (including without limitation any information generally known in your industry) included in your Application Information. Any such general information or knowledge you submit to OpenAI may be used or disclosed by us or any person with whom we share your application for any purpose and in any manner.

Security and Maintenance of Applications

You submit applications at your own risk. We implement commercially reasonable technical, administrative, and organizational measures to protect Application Information both online and offline from loss, misuse, and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no Internet or e-mail transmission is ever fully secure or error free. In particular, e-mail sent to or from us may not be secure. Therefore, you should take special care in deciding what Application Information you send to us.

After the application process has ended, we may retain your application and the information contained therein.

Certain Legal Matters Regarding Application Information

Certain elements of the Application Information may entail descriptions of apparent arrangements, agreements, understandings, transactions, dealings or similar matters that are in actuality unenforceable, invalid, void, inchoate, incomplete, uncertain, proposed but not executed, offered but not accepted, provisional or contingent. Such descriptions may include, but are not limited to, descriptions of (i) company ownership allocations among the founders or other persons affiliated with the company, (ii) relationships or arrangements between the founders, persons affiliated with the company, investors, customers, end users and/or past or present employers, or (iii) rights, preferences or privileges (including without limitation intellectual property rights) granted by or to, licensed by or to, owned by or held by the founders, persons affiliated with the company, investors, customers, end users and/or past or present employers (collectively, the “Descriptions”). Accordingly, all such Descriptions will be treated only as general descriptions that are not, in it of themselves, intended to establish, demonstrate, evidence, prove or memorialize any legally valid and enforceable contract, arrangement, agreement or understanding, or any claim, right, preference or privilege, whether among the parties affiliated with the application, between the parties affiliated with the application and OpenAI, or otherwise. By submitting or consenting to the submission of the Application Information (including by not timely objecting to the submission of the Application Information, or not timely requesting the withdrawal of the application), you acknowledge and agree to the foregoing. For clarity, the foregoing shall not be construed as OpenAI’s release or waiver of, or consent to, any (intentional or not) misrepresentation, fraud, misconduct or bad faith contained within, related to, in connection with or arising out of the Descriptions or the Application Information.

Children

OpenAI does not knowingly collect Personal Data, or accept applications, from children under the age of 13. If you are under the age of 13, please do not submit any Application Information.

International Applicants

By submitting your application, you understand and acknowledge that your Application Information will be transferred from your location to our facilities and servers in the United States.

5. UPDATE YOUR INFORMATION

Please contact us at support@openai.com if you need to change or correct your Personal Information.

6. CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS

The following disclosures are intended to provide additional information about (1) the categories of Personal Information we collect (as defined above), (2) the source of the Personal Information, (3) how we use each category of Personal Information, and (4) how we disclose Personal Information. These disclosures do not limit our ability to use or disclose information as described in Sections 2 and 3.

Category of Personal Information Sources of Personal Information Use of Personal Information Disclosure of Personal Information
Social Information We may collect Social Information from you when you interact with our Social Media Pages. We may use Social Information to perform analytics and to communicate with you. We may disclose Social Information to our affiliates.
Communication Information We collect Communication Information directly from you. We use Communication Information for providing our Services and responding to you. We disclose Communication Information to our affiliates and communication services providers.
Technical Information We collect Technical Information from you. We use Technical Information for analytics and in some cases, for moderation and prevention of fraud and malicious activity by users of our Services. We disclose Technical Information to our affiliates and analytics provider(s).

California Privacy Rights

To the extent provided for by law and subject to applicable exceptions, California residents have the following privacy rights in relation to the Personal Information we collect:

  • The right to know what Personal Information we have collected and how we have used and disclosed that Personal Information;
  • The right to request deletion of your Personal Information; and
  • The right to be free from discrimination relating to the exercise of any of your privacy rights.

We do not and will not sell your Personal Information.

Exercising Your Rights: California residents can exercise the above privacy rights by emailing us at: support@openai.com.

Verification: in order to protect your Personal Information from unauthorized access or deletion, we may require you to verify your credentials before you can submit a request to know or delete Personal Information. If you do not have an account with us, or if we suspect fraudulent or malicious activity, we may ask you to provide additional Personal Information and proof of residency for verification. If we cannot verify your identity, we will not provide or delete your Personal Information.

Authorized Agents: you may submit a request to know or a request to delete your Personal Information through an authorized agent. If you do so, the agent must present signed written permission to act on your behalf and you may also be required to independently verify your identity and submit proof of your residency with us.

7. CHILDREN

Our Service is not directed to children who are under the age of 13. OpenAI does not knowingly collect Personal Information from children under the age of 13. If you have reason to believe that a child under the age of 13 has provided Personal Information to OpenAI through the Service please email us at support@openai.com and we will endeavor to delete that information from our databases.

8. LINKS TO OTHER WEBSITES

The Service may contain links to other websites not operated or controlled by OpenAI, including social media services (“Third Party Sites”). The information that you share with Third Party Sites will be governed by the specific privacy policies and terms of service of the Third Party Sites and not by this Privacy Policy. By providing these links we do not imply that we endorse or have reviewed these sites. Please contact the Third Party Sites directly for information on their privacy practices and policies.

9. SECURITY

You use the Service at your own risk. We implement commercially reasonable technical, administrative, and organizational measures to protect Personal Information both online and offline from loss, misuse, and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no Internet or e-mail transmission is ever fully secure or error free. In particular, e-mail sent to or from us may not be secure. Therefore, you should take special care in deciding what information you send to us via the Service or e-mail. Please keep this in mind when disclosing any Personal Information to OpenAI via the Internet. In addition, we are not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures contained on the Service, or third party websites.

10. INTERNATIONAL USERS

By using our Service, you understand and acknowledge that your Personal Information will be transferred from your location to our facilities and servers in the United States.

11. YOUR CHOICES

In certain circumstances providing Personal Information is optional. However, if you choose not to provide Personal Information that is needed to use some features of our Service, you may be unable to use those features. You can also contact us at support@openai.com ask us to update or correct your Personal Information.

12. CHANGES TO THE PRIVACY POLICY

The Service, the application process for the OpenAI Startup Fund and/or our activities and businesses may change from time to time. Please review this policy periodically, and especially before you submit an application to the OpenAI Startup Fund. As a result we may change this Privacy Policy at any time. When we do we will post an updated version on this page, unless another type of notice is required by the applicable law. By continuing to use our Service or providing us with Personal Information after we have posted an updated Privacy Policy, or notified you by other means if applicable, you consent to the revised Privacy Policy and practices described in it.

13. CONTACT US

If you have any questions about our Privacy Policy or information practices or need to access this Privacy Policy in a different format, please feel free to contact us at support@openai.com.