In a statement, OpenAI said the London teams would focus on research and engineering capabilities while collaborating with local communities and policy makers.

OpenAI, which is headquartered in San Francisco, added the new office would help broaden the scope of its operations, bring in diverse perspectives and support its work on artificial general intelligence (AGI).

The company did not specify where the new office would be in the city, but has started recruitment for the new office.

Sam Altman, chief executive at OpenAI, said: “We see this expansion as an opportunity to attract world-class talent and drive innovation in AGI development and policy.

“We’re excited about what the future holds and to see the contributions our London office will make towards building and deploying safe AI.”

Diane Yoon, vice-president of people at OpenAI, said: “We are thrilled to extend our research and development footprint into London, a city globally renowned for its rich culture and exceptional talent pool.

“We are eager to build dynamic teams in research, engineering and go-to-market functions, as well as other areas, to reinforce our efforts in creating and promoting safe AGI.”