Employees at OpenAI appear to be in constant digital conversation, engaging with one another through Slack at an exceptionally high frequency. Despite the fact that artificial intelligence companies often proclaim they are revolutionizing every aspect of professional life — from fundamental job functions and communication practices to the streamlining or even elimination of entire roles — OpenAI continues to rely heavily on one of the most enduring staples of modern office life: the messaging and collaboration platform Slack. Rather than abandoning this traditional tool, the company has embraced it with remarkable intensity, making it a central pillar of how its teams coordinate, share ideas, and maintain operational flow.
OpenAI’s Chief Operating Officer, Brad Lightcap, affirmed this deep reliance during an appearance on Fortune’s *Term Sheet* podcast. Describing the internal rhythm of communication at OpenAI, Lightcap noted that the company harbors what he called “high-frequency Slackers,” a term reflecting employees’ near-constant engagement with the platform. He went on to state, with a mix of pride and humor, that OpenAI is probably the most active organization on Slack anywhere in the world. This statement underscores not only the importance of real-time messaging in OpenAI’s internal culture but also the company’s broader belief in the efficiency and immediacy of collaborative technologies.
In addition to its prolific use of Slack, OpenAI’s sales department operates through another major enterprise platform — Salesforce. According to Lightcap, the sales team “runs on” Salesforce, meaning that their customer relationship management and revenue processes are largely structured within that system. This reliance connects OpenAI to the broader Salesforce ecosystem, which expanded its reach in the enterprise communication landscape by acquiring Slack in 2020 for approximately $27.7 billion. Both Slack and Salesforce exemplify the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, a technological and business framework where applications are delivered via the cloud, allowing companies to access sophisticated tools without maintaining local infrastructure.
Interestingly, the SaaS sector itself has become a thriving arena for artificial intelligence advancements, and OpenAI has stepped into that space as both user and innovator. In October, the company unveiled a comprehensive suite of new workplace tools designed to augment professional efficiency. Among the releases were an AI-powered inbound sales assistant capable of streamlining customer interactions and a contract searcher tool engineered to quickly parse complex documentation. These innovations illustrate OpenAI’s intent to integrate artificial intelligence not as a distant or abstract concept but as a practical enhancer of everyday workflows.
Yet, even as OpenAI pioneers new AI-based solutions for workplace management, the company remains loyal to established SaaS platforms that have already proven their staying power. As Lightcap elaborated, the organization continues to use “all the canonical SaaS systems you can think of,” a phrase implying reliance on universally recognized enterprise tools. He further emphasized that these platforms are not just helpful conveniences but foundational systems — essential to OpenAI’s operations today and likely to remain critical for the foreseeable future. This pragmatic approach reveals that innovation and tradition, rather than being opposites, can coexist in a dynamic balance that sustains operational excellence.
Further insight into OpenAI’s internal structure comes from a July blog post authored by former engineer Calvin French-Owen, who provided an insider’s view of how communication functions within the company. He described OpenAI’s daily operations as uniquely centered around Slack, asserting that virtually every form of internal activity — from casual conversation to official decision-making — unfolds within that platform. According to French-Owen, the use of email was almost entirely obsolete; he personally received only about ten emails during his entire tenure. This near-total shift away from traditional correspondence reflects a profound cultural choice: to optimize internal transparency, reduce friction in communication, and foster a faster, more iterative exchange of information among teams.
Given this context, a natural question arises: if artificial intelligence is not poised to replace Slack as the dominant medium of workplace communication, what role does it play within these existing systems? Addressing this, Lightcap suggested on the podcast that AI can “live in the cracks” — that is, it can integrate seamlessly into the background of such platforms, enhancing processes without disrupting their familiar interfaces. In his view, AI’s true value lies in amplification rather than substitution: by automating repetitive tasks, managing information flows more intelligently, and anticipating users’ needs, it enables individuals and teams to work with greater speed and effectiveness. In essence, AI becomes a subtle but powerful force that accelerates productivity across the very tools people already depend on.
Through this blend of technological sophistication and practical continuity, OpenAI exemplifies how a forward-thinking company can innovate internally while remaining grounded in proven systems. Slack, Salesforce, and OpenAI’s own AI-enabled solutions together form a cohesive digital environment — one where human creativity and artificial intelligence intersect to shape a more efficient, collaborative, and enduring model of modern work.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/openai-coo-worlds-most-active-slack-user-2025-10
