Prompted: AI, People and the Creative Spark

Inside OpenAI’s Global Expansion with Oliver Jay, Managing Director

Jan 13, 2026

Oliver Jay, Managing Director of OpenAI International, dives into global AI expansion, drawing from his experiences at Dropbox and Asana. He explains how AI adoption accelerates compared to traditional products and emphasizes the need for parallel international rollouts. Oliver highlights partnerships with governments to prepare for AI’s impact, localizing AI models, and the crucial role of upskilling. He also envisions a future where voice applications break down barriers, making AI accessible for all.

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ANECDOTE

Childhood Walkman Inspiration

Oliver Jay recalls receiving a Walkman on a childhood trip to Japan and being transported by music into another world.
That early tech experience inspired his sense of how technology can create immersive experiences.

INSIGHT

Parallel Global Adoption

AI adoption follows product-led growth principles but the adoption curve is far steeper than past PLG products.
OpenAI must execute many international initiatives in parallel rather than sequential rollouts to match global demand.

ADVICE

Pair Product With Government Partnerships

Pair bottoms-up product work with top-down government partnerships to scale AI responsibly and effectively.
Improve models, localize products, open offices, and work with governments through programs like OpenAI for Countries.

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How does one of the world’s fastest-growing companies approach international scale? How is localizing AI different than localizing any other product?

Managing Director of OpenAI International, Oliver Jay, joins Cameron to answer these questions and give us a window into what it takes to deploy AI models globally. Drawing on his experience at Dropbox, Asana, and now OpenAI, Oliver explains why AI adoption follows familiar product-led growth principles but moves dramatically faster, how OpenAI works with governments through its OpenAI for Countries program, and why voice, education, and workforce upskilling must coincide to make AI accessible worldwide.

Cam’s notes on Substack: promptedwithcam.substack.com

Key Quotes

“ The models are at the point where you will see an explosion of voice native applications. I think voice changes everything.”

“At this scale, you really do need to work side by side with governments to ensure that countries are ready for what's coming.”

Timestamps

01:12 - The Prompt

03:51 - Creative All Hands

06:24 - When demand is global, execute in parallel, not sequential country rollouts.

07:07 - Familiar interfaces (like chat) can unlock adoption faster than capability alone.

07:56 - Start your day by asking AI to preview meetings and prep.

10:15 - Scale globally with bottoms-up product work and top-down government partnerships.

12:38 - The risk of not having enough compute far outweighs the risk of having too much.

13:38 - Upskilling needs systems: academy, certification, and job matching loops.

16:02 - Watch usage patterns by country, product breakthroughs can start anywhere.

16:48 - Design educational AI like a tutor: prompt, challenge, and guide, don't solve.

19:13 - Teach models language principles, and they generalize beyond training languages.

23:22 - Voice can replace keyboards as the gateway to digital opportunity.

26:23 - Traditional teams can lead innovation when AI removes their biggest bottlenecks.

27:55 - Show customers real prototypes fast. Codex can build demos in minutes.

43:48 - All Star Creative Team

45:20 - Design Reveal

47:16 - Rapid Fire

49:02 - Key Takeaways

Links

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Cameron Adams on LinkedIn
Oliver Jay on LinkedIn

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