OpenAI's Gideon Myles Tells LES Members AI Should Train Junior Talent, Not Replace It

At the LES Annual Meeting, OpenAI's IP lead described pairing new graduates with AI agents, and running parts of the company's patent work with AI

SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES, November 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Speaking at the Licensing Executives Society (LES) Annual Meeting on October 19, 2026, Gideon Myles, Associate General Counsel - Patents and Trademarks at OpenAI, explained how the company is reshaping entry-level legal work as AI takes over routine tasks. Rather than letting automation eliminate junior roles, OpenAI's legal team removes routine items from new hires' workloads, pairs them with AI agents and teams them with experienced attorneys. Those attorneys help them learn to spot issues and build a foundation in legal practice.

"I don't think AI is going to automate us out of jobs, but it allows us to be more efficient," Myles said in a conversation with Sam Wiley, LES Annual Meeting Co-Chair and LES Board member. "There's still a place for humans to think and be creative."

Myles also described how OpenAI uses AI to manage its own intellectual property:

• Portfolio-scale patent analysis. AI runs analyses across large patent portfolios, and subject-matter experts validate the results. Myles compared it to "having multiple team members, all working at the same time."

• Automated record checks. A paralegal uses an AI agent to check all of OpenAI's records on the USPTO site every week, and the team shares a customizable portfolio dashboard.

• Trademark clearance and communications. AI supports trademark clearance searches and helps manage email and Slack.

He also highlighted OpenAI's commercial analyst program, which brings in recent college graduates to learn commercial law. Some participants go on to careers as contract managers and others go on to law school. Myles urged organizations adopting AI to stay vigilant about data security. That means knowing where information is stored, who can access it and how potential entry points are protected.

About the Licensing Executives Society (USA and Canada), Inc.
LES is a leading association for intellectual property, technology, and business development professionals. The group brings IP and licensing groups together to network, collaborate and discuss some of the most critical issues facing the industry. The LES community drives strategy, transactions, and deals involving intellectual property, business and law, to fuel the evolving innovation economy.

For more information, visit: https://www.lesusacanada.org/

Katie McGowan
LES USA & Canada
communications@les.org
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