Upwork Launches ChatGPT App to Streamline Freelancer Hiring

Upwork Inc. Announced on April 9, 2026, the launch of an app within OpenAI’s ChatGPT designed to allow businesses to identify project needs, discover freelance talent, and draft job posts directly within the AI platform.

The integration allows users to move from the brainstorming phase of a project to the hiring phase without leaving the ChatGPT interface. To use the service, users connect the Upwork app to their ChatGPT instance and use natural language prompts by @-mentioning Upwork.

Examples of such prompts include @Upwork I need an expert to lead an AI integration for my business or @Upwork Find a developer to build an AI customer support assistant that can answer questions, route tickets, and reduce response times.

Workflow and AI Integration

Once a user submits a request, ChatGPT displays matching talent pulled from the Upwork network or generates a draft of a structured job post. After these initial steps are completed and verified within ChatGPT, the process shifts to the Upwork Marketplace.

At the Marketplace stage, Upwork’s AI work agent, Uma™, takes over to assist businesses in scoping projects, generating contracts, and initiating the work. This transition is intended to streamline the path from an initial conversation to the execution of a project.

You can now quickly progress from an idea in ChatGPT to hiring the right expert on Upwork in just a few steps, turning conversations into real work outcomes.

Peter Sanborn, Upwork Chief Business Officer

Market Reach and Business Context

The integration provides businesses, including solopreneurs and small to medium-sized businesses, access to a global marketplace consisting of more than 18 million professionals. This network covers 130 categories of work and includes 10,000 distinct skills, ranging from financial consultants and marketers to software developers.

This development follows research indicating that 94% of business leaders state their organizations now mandate or encourage the use of AI tools. Upwork noted that the volume of AI-related work on its platform grew by more than 50% over the previous year.

For many people, ChatGPT is where you can explore ideas, solve problems and move work forward. We’re excited to partner with Upwork and make it easier for anyone to build a business — connecting them with the talent they need, on the platforms they use every day.

Chaya Nayak, Head of Jobs and Certification Product at OpenAI

OpenAI Ecosystem Expansion

The launch of the Upwork app is part of a broader expansion of OpenAI’s capabilities to integrate third-party services. In October 2025, OpenAI introduced a feature allowing ChatGPT users to interact with third-party apps during conversations and released a software development kit for developers to create such applications.

This was followed in December 2025 by the launch of the ChatGPT App Directory. This marketplace allows developers to submit apps for review and publication, enabling users to discover and utilize these tools directly within the ChatGPT interface.

Upwork and OpenAI have a history of collaboration prior to this app launch. In December 2025, the two companies partnered to provide AI training, certifications, and upskilling opportunities for the independent professionals operating within the Upwork Marketplace.