The quest to keep OpenAI honest

Next week, we’re airing a recent conversation I had with Bret Taylor, the chairman of OpenAI’s board. But today, I want to zoom in on the battle that’s brewing about the future of OpenAI itself.

Despite being one of the most valuable companies in the world, OpenAI is still technically a nonprofit. That structure was designed back in 2015 to keep investors from steering artificial intelligence onto paths that could harm humanity. It’s also what set the stage for the dramatic board coup in 2023 that briefly ousted Sam Altman as CEO. And now, OpenAI is trying to shake its nonprofit structure so it can raise even more money and, eventually, go public.

There’s a lot at stake here, and not just for OpenAI. To unpack why it matters, I’m joined today by Catherine Bracy, CEO of TechEquity, and Orson Aguilar, CEO of LatinoProsperity. They help run EyesOnOpenAI, a coalition of advocacy groups that’s challenging OpenAI’s attempted restructuring.

As you’ll hear, Catherine and Orson argue that OpenAI has enjoyed the advantages of being a nonprofit while drifting away from its mission. It’s a complicated and fascinating story that cuts to the heart of how the most important AI company in the world is structured and the impacts of that structure.

Here, I should note that OpenAI declined to comment on this episode specifically. Instead, I was referred to a May blog post from Sam Altman, in which he wrote that the company’s proposed restructuring will still create the “largest and most effective nonprofit in history.”

If you’d like to read more on what we talked about in this episode, check out the links below:

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