As OpenAI’s workforce has grown to around 8,000 employees, the artificial intelligence company has introduced an unusual internal system designed to help workers bypass bureaucracy and bring workplace problems directly to senior leadership.
Known internally as “friction,” the system gives employees a dedicated email channel through which they can report issues that are making their work more difficult or slowing down processes.
What is OpenAI’s ‘friction’ email?
The internal email system allows employees to highlight anything they believe is creating unnecessary obstacles at the company.
Reported concerns can range from technical problems and inefficient internal procedures to relatively ordinary workplace frustrations.
Once a complaint is submitted, OpenAI’s leadership team reviews and prioritises the issues. If a problem is considered significant or relevant, senior executives can become directly involved in finding a solution.
In some cases, CEO Sam Altman or company president Greg Brockman can step in to address the issue, giving employees a way to bring concerns to the highest levels of management without having to navigate multiple layers of bureaucracy.
Why did OpenAI introduce the system?
The initiative gained particular attention during the fall of 2025, when Fidji Simo joined OpenAI as CEO of Applications.
During a three-month “listening tour”, Simo spoke with employees across the company to understand the challenges created by its rapid expansion.
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One recurring concern was that OpenAI could lose some of the speed and flexibility that had helped define the company as its workforce and operations became increasingly large.
The friction system was subsequently used as one way to identify problems that might otherwise become buried in the organisation.
From small frustrations to major improvements
The issues reported through the system have reportedly included both major operational hurdles and everyday workplace problems.
One example involved a pilot programme concerning parking spaces for employees who live farther away from the company. Other concerns reportedly included improving the efficiency of providing API credits to workers.
The idea behind the system is relatively straightforward: employees who encounter unnecessary obstacles can flag them directly rather than spending significant time working through the company’s organisational structure.
Although Simo is no longer with OpenAI, the friction@ process and related Slack update system reportedly remain active.
A way to maintain agility
For a rapidly expanding technology company, internal bureaucracy can become a significant challenge. OpenAI’s unusual approach is intended to ensure that employees can still raise problems quickly, even as the organisation becomes larger.
The system also gives senior leadership greater visibility into problems that may not otherwise reach the executive level.
Rather than allowing workplace frustrations to remain within individual teams, the friction process creates a direct channel for identifying and potentially resolving them.
As OpenAI continues to expand its workforce and develop increasingly complex AI products, the unusual email system reflects the company’s attempt to preserve a culture of speed and direct communication despite its growing size.
