OpenAI Trains AI to Build Financial Models with Ex-Bankers in Project Mercury

OpenAI has enlisted more than 100 former investment bankers to help train its artificial intelligence to build financial models, according to Bloomberg. The work is part of a confidential effort known internally as Project Mercury, aimed at automating the routine modeling tasks typically handled by junior bankers.

Participants in the program, including former employees of JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs, are paid $150 per hour to write prompts and build models for various transaction types such as restructurings and initial public offerings. They are required to submit one model per week, following standard industry formatting conventions in Microsoft Excel.

The contractors receive early access to the AI system and provide feedback to improve its output. The application process for the project is conducted largely through automation, beginning with an interview via an AI chatbot followed by tests on financial knowledge and modeling skills.

A spokesperson for OpenAI said the company collaborates with domain experts to enhance model capabilities across different fields. The initiative reflects OpenAI’s push to make its technology more practical for business use, with Project Mercury focusing specifically on financial-sector applications.