analysis
Until recently, OpenAI was one of the most influential AI companies in the world. Now it’s a crisis. This shows how young and inexperienced the industry still is – which threatens to come at the expense of safety.
It is currently not easy to say where exactly Sam Altman will work in the future. First the dismissal as head of the AI company Open AI, which he co-founded, rumors about a completely new company, negotiations about a return to OpenAI, a move to Microsoft – and now possibly the old job again? All within 72 hours.
During this period, the second interim boss was also introduced, US manager Emmett Shear, former CEO of the streaming platform Twitch. There is a lot of chaos at the AI company based in San Francisco’s Mission district.
Huge expectations from investors
Since the “hype” surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) and the chatbot ChatGPT, the value of OpenAI has multiplied. Most recently it was around $90 billion. Investors, especially the software company Microsoft, have invested billions and turned an AI startup into a globally influential company. It’s not just Microsoft that has aligned its strategy with OpenAI software such as ChatGPT or the image generator Dall.E3. Investors’ profit expectations are huge.
OpenAI was not originally founded as a for-profit company. The big goal was initially to develop AI in the interests of everyone – with a board of directors committed to the common good. Altman had headed the commercial division until last Friday. Insiders report that tensions in both areas have increased in recent months.
Competition for experts
The way the board fired Altman seemed extremely clumsy. This may be due to the company’s special structure, but also to a lack of experience in a very young and suddenly very hyped industry. And the question is whether security-relevant aspects are not neglected when there is high commercial pressure. This applies not only to OpenAI, but also to other AI companies.
Because the need is so great, there is now a fight for AI experts. Silicon Valley companies, including OpenAI, are trying to solve the shortage of skilled workers with salaries worth millions. In addition to computing power and sufficient data, the resource “talent” is considered crucial for the development of successful AI products. OpenAI is nothing without its people, posted Mira Murati on X, formerly Twitter. She was briefly considered interim boss until she, too, took Altman’s side.
Protest letter from the employees
Almost all OpenAI employees are now said to have signed a letter in which they called for the removal of the board of directors and the return of Altman. If that doesn’t happen, they want to leave OpenAI for Microsoft.
AI experts from OpenAI are switching to Microsoft: That sounds like a win for the company, even if ex-OpenAI people decide to compete with Meta, Anthropic or Google. As far as the products are concerned, the work of the team under Sam Altman has obviously worked very well in the current constellation. It would be questionable whether the employees’ attitudes would immediately fit into Microsoft’s structures.
restlessness as Competitive disadvantage?
Microsoft, which holds a 49 percent stake in OpenAI’s commercial business, would continue to have access to products such as ChatGPT. Does the text robot then belong to a company that hardly has any employees anymore? Is Altman at Microsoft then developing a similar, competing product?
In a highly competitive market, the unrest of the past few days is probably a disadvantage. Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, is still confident. In an interview with Bloomberg he said: “No matter where Sam is, he works with Microsoft.”