Bellevue becomes destination for AI companies

Bellevue, Wash., is becoming an artificial intelligence hub as OpenAI and xAI look to establish outposts on the Eastside.

The San Francisco company behind ChatGPT is opening a second home in Bellevue. OpenAI plans to lease 10 new floors of office space in Bellevue’s City Center Plaza, according to GeekWire.

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And it’s not the only AI company planting a flag on the Eastside. Elon Musks’s xAI is planning to set up camp in the Lincoln Square South building, according to permit filings with the City of Bellevue.

Neither company responded to questions about their new outposts.

The moves bring both companies closer to Microsoft in Redmond and Amazon in Seattle, important cloud partners underpinning the AI boom.

They also come amid thousands of layoffs in the tech industry.

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Although many tech companies are freezing hiring and shedding employees, AI remains a key growth area in the industry. The growing footprints of xAI and OpenAI in Bellevue indicate they will be adding jobs in the area.