OpenAI Makes First Acquisition With Digital Studios Global Illumination

OpenAI has acquired digital products and design startup Global Illumination as it looks to expand into new areas like AI-generated media. Global Illumination is best known for its Minecraft-style open-world game Biomes and brings expertise in building creative tools and experiences.

The deal marks OpenAI's first-ever acquisition and will bolster its ranks as it evolves from a pure research organization into a full technology company. Global Illumination's founders include Thomas Dimson, former director of engineering at Instagram known for developing discovery algorithms and features.

"The entire team has joined OpenAI to work on our core products including ChatGPT," OpenAI said in a blog post. With projects focusing on controlling advanced AI and new journalism-based tools, Global Illumination's skills in creative development will prove highly valuable. The acquisition kicks off an exciting new chapter for OpenAI as it leverages acquisition to strengthen its technological capabilities.