‘Every person that clashed with him has left': the rise, fall and spectacular comeback of Sam Altman

The short-lived firing of Sam Altman, the CEO of possibly the world's most important AI company, was sensational. When he was sacked by OpenAI's board members, some of them believed the stakes could not have been higher – the future of humanity – if the organisation continued under Altman. Imagine Succession, with added apocalypse vibes. In early November 2023, after three weeks of secret calls and varying degrees of paranoia, the OpenAI board agreed: Altman had to go.
The drama didn't stop there. After his removal, Altman's most loyal staff resigned, and others signed an open letter calling for his reinstatement. Investors, including its biggest, Microsoft, got spooked. Without talent or funding, OpenAI – which developed ChatGPT and was worth billions – wouldn't even exist. Some who had been involved in the decision to fire Altman switched sides and within days, he was reinstated. Is he now untouchable? 'Certainly he has entrenched his power,' says Karen Hao, the tech journalist whose new book, Empire of AI, details this saga in a tense and absorbing history of OpenAI. The current board is 'much more allied with his interests,' she says.
Hao's book is a gripping read (subtitle: 'Inside the Reckless Race for Total Domination'), featuring the unimaginably rich, as well as people in developing countries who are paid a pittance to root out the horrific sexual and violent content in the internet data that AI is trained on. The cast of characters that make up OpenAI have brilliant minds, and often eccentric behaviour. Elon Musk, after all, is one of its founders. Another founder and its chief scientist, Ilya Sutskever – who would be part of the failed attempt to remove Altman – dramatically illustrated his fears about the 'unaligned' AI they had created by burning a wooden effigy constructed to represent it in 2023 while his senior colleagues stood around a firepit at a luxury resort, wearing bathrobes.
At the centre of it all is Altman, OpenAI's charismatic co-founder and CEO who is, depending how you view him, the villain who has put humanity on the path to mass extinction, or the visionary utopian who will bring us cures for diseases and a revolution in how we work. In the less than two years it has taken Hao to write her book, Altman, 40, appears to have outmanoeuvred his dissenters and has announced plans to raise $7tn.
Hao describes Altman as a 'once-in-a-generation fundraising talent' and claims OpenAI's chances of winning the AI arms race depend on raising vast sums. 'He persuades people into ceding power to him, he doesn't seize it. The reason he's able to do this is because he's incredibly good at understanding what people want and what motivates them. I came to understand that … when he is talking to someone, what comes out of his mouth is not necessarily correlated as much with his own beliefs as it is with what he thinks the other person needs to hear.' It's why, she says, he was able to recruit so many talented people and get so much investment (and also what made some on his original board, and senior employees, nervous). 'It's also why he was able to pull off something that most people would not be able to do, which is to get the public to buy into this premise that he's doing something profoundly good for society, just long enough to get away with it.'
Within OpenAI, Hao points out, 'every single person that has ever clashed with him about his vision of AI development has left – Musk has left, Dario Amodei has left, Sutskever has left [the three were early leaders in OpenAI] and a whole host of other people. Ultimately, they had a different idea of how AI should be developed. They challenged Altman, and Altman won.'
In 2021, Altman's sister Annie made the shocking allegation on what was then Twitter that he had sexually abused her as a child (he is nine years older). In January this year, she filed a lawsuit against him. In a statement released by Altman, his mother and his two brothers, they described the allegations as 'utterly untrue' (his father died in 2018). Hao had several conversations with Annie, piecing together how her life unravelled. A bright child who planned to go to medical school, she suffered with poor mental health, and then developed a series of chronic physical health issues as a young adult. After her father's death, her health declined even further and, as her family started cutting off financial help, she became estranged from them. Annie, says Hao, 'is such a perfect case study of why we need to be sceptical of what Sam Altman says about the benefits of AI'. Altman claims AI is going to solve poverty and improve healthcare, but Annie – who lives in poverty and has health issues – hasn't seen any of the benefits, says Hao. 'She's representative of more people, and how they live in the world, than he is, and it just so happens that this perfect case study is also his sister.'
Despite agreeing to speak to Hao for her book, OpenAI pulled out when they found out she was in touch with Annie. 'This should be a family thing,' says Hao. 'Why is a company representative now making this their top issue? That illustrated to me how important Sam, the man, is to the company.' It highlighted to her, she says, that Silicon Valley companies, particularly when faced with criticism, 'can bring their full power to bear to quash that dissent.'
Hao studied mechanical engineering at university and moved to San Francisco after graduation to work for a startup. 'I thought that was going to be my career, to be in Silicon Valley and do that whole journey,' she says, when we speak over Zoom. 'I pretty much realised within the first year that the incentives within Silicon Valley for technology development were not aligned with the public interest.'
So she moved into journalism and, writing for the magazine MIT Technology Review, became fascinated by AI. 'I was primarily spending all my time talking with researchers within companies that were operating in academic-like environments, where they didn't really have any commercial objectives. There was so much diversity of research happening.' There were also healthy debates. This was in 2016, around the time Donald Trump won his first election, and there had been a lot of criticism of the tech industry. 'There was emerging research on AI and its impact on society. What are the harms? What are the biases embedded in models that lead to potential widespread discrimination and civil rights issues? That's kind of where the AI world and discourse was before it got derailed by ChatGPT.'
Within days of the release of ChatGPT in late 2022, it had one million users. Within a couple of months, it had 100 million users and had become the fastest growing consumer app in history. Hao felt its dazzling success had overshadowed those kind of debates, at least in the mainstream. 'People were just buying what OpenAI and other companies were spoon-feeding in terms of narratives, like: this is going to cure cancer, this is going to solve the climate crisis, all these utopic things that you can't even dream of.' She started working on what would become her book, looking at the history of OpenAI and its competitors. 'Only when you have that context can you begin to understand that what these companies say should not be taken at face value.'
Before Hao started following OpenAI more closely, she says she had a 'pretty positive impression. I was curious about them; they were not a company, they were a non-profit, and they talked about how they were going to be transparent, open their research, and were focused on benefiting society'. Then, in 2019, things started to change; OpenAI developed a 'capped-profit' structure (investors would have their returns capped at a very generous 100 times), Altman became CEO, they signed a billion-dollar deal with Microsoft, and started to withhold their research. 'It seemed like quite a significant shift,' says Hao.
'That is one of the reasons why OpenAI has had so much drama, but it's also emblematic of AI development – it's so much driven by ideology,' she says. 'There's this clash of egos and ideologies that's happening, to try to seize the direction.' Within OpenAI, whether boomer (those who want to scale as fast as possible) or doomer (those who believe AI is a threat to humanity), the finish line was the same: to develop, and therefore control, AI first.
Does Hao think AI poses an existential threat? 'The biggest and most pressing threat is that AI is going to completely erode democracy and, if you understand that, the conclusion is then we should just stop developing this technology in the way that these companies are developing it.' The funnelling of resources 'is a completely different scale than previous tech companies … They're trying to justify raising the largest private investment rounds again and again – OpenAI having just raised $40bn in the latest round'. That kind of concentration of wealth, she says, 'is in and of itself a threat. We are already seeing that play out with the US government, with the takeover by unelected tech billionaires.'
The apocalyptic visions of a superintelligent AI turning against humanity have been a distraction, she thinks. 'Ultimately, what's going to cause catastrophe is people, not rogue AI, and we need to watch what the people are doing.' However, she has met people who genuinely believe AI will destroy humanity. 'I spoke to people whose voices were literally quivering in fear, that is the degree to which they believe, and if you truly believe that, that's terrifying.' Then there are those who use the idea of how AI could become so powerful as 'a rhetorical tool to continue saying: 'That's why we good people need to continue controlling the technology and not have it be in the hands of bad people.'' But as far as Hao can see, 'we've not gotten more democratic technologies, but more authoritarian ones.'
Neither does Hao have much sympathy for the argument that the development of AI requires huge investment. 'I don't think it needs the level of investment these companies say it needs,' she says. 'They have already spent hundreds of billions of dollars on developing a technology that has yet to achieve what they said it's going to achieve,' says Hao. 'And now you expect us to spend trillions? At what point do we decide that actually they've just failed?
'When I was covering AI pre-ChatGPT and the wide range of research that was happening, there were such exciting ideas … ChatGPT erased people's imaginations for what else could be possible.' Generative AI has taken over – not just OpenAI, but at other tech companies including Google's DeepMind – and this, says Hao, 'has distorted the landscape of research, because talent goes where the money goes.'
The money doesn't flow equally, though. Hao interviews people working for outsourced companies in Kenya, Colombia and Chile, who annotate the data that generative AI is trained on, sifting out harmful content for low pay and without much thought for their mental health. The AI, meanwhile, is powered by vast datacentres, buildings packed with computers, that require a huge amount of energy to run, and whose cooling systems require a huge amount of water. In the near future there will be even bigger datacentres known as 'mega-campuses'. Just one of these could use more energy than three cities the size of San Francisco.
The premise of her book is that the AI giants are running an empire. But history shows us that empires can and do fall. Hao sees each step of the supply chain as a potential site of resistance. Artists and writers, for instance, are pushing back against their work being used to train generative AI (the Guardian has a deal with OpenAI for the use of its content). Enforcing data privacy laws, 'are also ways to contain the empire', as is forcing companies to be transparent about their environmental impact, from their energy consumption to where and how the minerals needed for hardware are extracted. Tech companies, says Hao, 'want their tools to feel like magic' but she would like more public education to make people realise that each AI prompt uses resources and energy. Hitting these pressure points and more means, she says, 'we can slowly shift back to a more democratic model of governing AI'.
Compelling though he is, this isn't just about Altman, the reigning emperor of AI. 'It will take a far more concerted effort now to remove him,' she says, but adds, 'we fixate a bit too much on the individual'. If, or when, Altman chooses to step down or is successfully ousted, will his successor be any different? 'OpenAI is ultimately a product of Silicon Valley.' And anybody who may one day replace Altman, says Hao with foreboding, is going to pursue the same objective: 'To build and fortify the empire.'
Empire of AI: Inside the Reckless Race for Total Domination by Karen Hao is published by Allen Lane, Penguin (£25). To support the Guardian and the Observer, order your copy at guardianbookshop.com.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Daily Mail​

44 minutes ago

• Daily Mail​

China praised for extreme method to prevent students from cheating during exams as people call it 'genius'

More than 13 million anxious students in China filled exam rooms this year to sit the notoriously challenging gaokao. The two-day exam determines whether students can secure a place at university, and teens spend years studying for the big test. But students this year faced more than just academic pressure, as those taking the university entrance exams had to deal with some of the most extreme anti-cheating methods yet. Facial recognition technology, metal detectors, drones and phone signal blockers were regularly used in schools this year amid the Chinese government's latest attempt to clamp down on cheats. AI firms have also been involved in the government's latest efforts to curb cheating. Last week, as students sat to take their university entrance exams, some major AI platforms in China appeared to freeze certain functions during test hours. This meant that if students tried to upload a picture of an exam question, they were met with a message telling them that the feature was not available in that moment. One tech giant, Tencent, explicitly cited the integrity of the exams to explain why some of its features were unavailable. 'Dear user, to ensure the fairness of gaokao, this function is unavailable during gaokao hours. Tencent Yuanbao wishes gaokao sitters all success in the exams', the company's chat-bot told users when they tried to upload photos of exam papers during the exam window. Chinese AI model DeepSeek also prevented users from uploading photos of test papers during the same period. Asked if photo recognition was suspended because of the exam, the chat-bot answered: 'yes. Deepseek Chat could temporarily suspend photo recognition for test question search during gaokao and other important exams'. The measure was to 'ensure fairness in the college entrance examination', the firm said, adding that relevant functions would 'return to normal after gaokao.'. Moves made by Chinese AI companies sent some students into a panic, with one user writing on social platform Weibo: 'College entrance exam candidates, you are all s**t'. 'I can't use DeepSeek to upload pictures, I have to download ChatGPT again, I hope you all go to community college​​​​', another complained. It comes after Chinese authorities last month announced the use of stricter entry checks at exam points, biometric identification, enhanced screening for digital devices, and radio signal blockers. The government already made cheating in tests a criminal act back in 2016 Members of the public have had mixed reactions to China's latest cheat-proof measures. One social media user wrote on Instagram: 'A bold but necessary step. When 13 million students are fighting limited spots, even the smallest tech loophole could disrupt fairness. Respect to China for treating academic integrity seriously.' 'China is 200 years ahead', another said. 'No wonder China is winning', a third added. Another praised China for 'leading by example', calling them 'trailblazers in modern technology'. But others were sceptical of the country's anti-cheating measures. 'This is only gonna make [students want to] cheat even more. They're [going to] to try to figure out way around this block. While China has tried to deter students from using AI technology during their exam periods, in another drastic move, schools have ironically turned to AI patrol and surveillance systems to check if pupils are cheating. These technologies are designed to detect suspicious behaviour in the exam room, such as whispering, passing objects, exchanging glances, peeking or using forbidden tools. In the province of Jiangxi, schools are known to review footage taken from exam rooms rooms to detect any potential cheaters. The suspension of certain AI functions has been widely criticized by university students who say they have been unable to use tools to assist them with their studies. The education ministry and police have repeatedly urged local governments to take the crackdown on cheating seriously, and this is not the first time China has turned to extreme xxxx in a bid to prevent cheating. In 2016, China introduced a rule that would see students sent to prison if they were caught cheating in the highly competitive exams. Cheaters can face up to seven years in jail and be banned from taking other national education exams for three years under the amendment that was made to the Criminal Law nearly a decade ago. In 2018, six people were imprisoned for their part in a scheme to cheat in school exams Exam takers were provided with wireless transmitters and receivers and told to read the questions out loud, according to the reports. Researchers off-site would then find the answers in textbooks and read them to the test takers through their receivers. The six defendants were sentenced to between 20 months and four years. University entrance exams are a moment of high stress in China, as millions of students compete for only a limited number of university places. For students from rural homes, the exam has been praised as a leveller of the playing field and a catalyst for social mobility.

BBC News

an hour ago

• BBC News

Birmingham artist secures colour palette commission in New York

A Birmingham artist who turned his love of colour and typography into a business during the Covid lockdown is celebrating his first overseas Barnfield created The Colour Palette Company and his work can be found across the UK - with towns and cities showcasing colours that are readily associated with local he has produced a colour palette for the Corning Museum of Glass in New York worked with Birmingham Museums Trust, the Museum of Liverpool and York Museums, this latest work reflects the history and artistry of glass. "I knew our colour palettes were proving popular, and we have had interest from overseas – then out of nowhere the museum reached out after seeing our work on social media," said Mr Barnfield. "It's a huge honour to collaborate with such a prestigious institution and to bring our colour storytelling to an international institution for the first time."He added: "It has been quite a journey and one that I'm really enjoying. The Corning Museum of Glass feels like a milestone moment, especially seeing it's one of the largest museum gift shops in the United States." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.

Geeky Gadgets

2 hours ago

• Geeky Gadgets

What iOS 26 Beta Tells Us About the iPhone 17

Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) has once again provided a window into the future of its flagship products. This year, the unveiling of iOS 26 has fueled speculation about the upcoming iPhone 17, hinting at significant advancements in both design and functionality. From a potential redesign featuring innovative materials to enhanced multitasking capabilities, the iPhone 17 could represent a pivotal step forward for Apple's smartphone lineup. Here's a closer look at what these updates might mean for users. The video below from The Apple Circle gives us more details about the iPhone 17. Watch this video on YouTube. A Bold Redesign: The Liquid Glass Revolution The iPhone 17 is rumored to introduce a innovative 'liquid glass' design, a material that promises to redefine the device's aesthetic and durability. This advanced material is expected to provide a sleek, fluid appearance while maintaining the robust build quality that Apple is known for. The liquid glass design aligns seamlessly with iOS 26's updated visual language, creating a cohesive and modern user experience. Additional design enhancements are also anticipated: Thinner bezels, offering a more immersive and edge-to-edge display experience. Refinements to the Dynamic Island feature, which debuted in earlier models, to improve functionality and visual appeal. While the Dynamic Island may not see drastic changes due to hardware constraints, these subtle updates aim to enhance the overall usability and aesthetic of the device. The combination of these design elements could position the iPhone 17 as one of the most visually striking smartphones in Apple's history. Reimagining the iPhone Naming Strategy Apple is reportedly exploring a shift in its naming conventions for the iPhone lineup, which could mark a significant departure from its traditional numerical identifiers. Instead of continuing with names like 'iPhone 17,' the company might adopt simpler titles such as 'iPhone' or 'iPhone Pro.' Another possibility is aligning the iPhone's name with its iOS version, such as 'iPhone 26,' to emphasize the close relationship between hardware and software. This potential rebranding strategy could offer several benefits: Streamlining product differentiation, making it easier for consumers to understand the lineup. Strengthening Apple's ecosystem identity by highlighting the seamless integration between devices and software. By simplifying its naming conventions, Apple could reinforce its focus on user experience and ecosystem cohesion, making its products more accessible to a broader audience. Productivity Features Take Center Stage iOS 26 is expected to introduce a range of productivity-focused features, positioning the iPhone 17 as a versatile tool for both personal and professional use. These updates could significantly enhance multitasking capabilities, addressing long-standing user demands for greater functionality. Key productivity features rumored for iOS 26 include: Split-screen functionality, allowing users to run multiple apps simultaneously for improved multitasking. A desktop-like mode, inspired by iPadOS and competitors like Samsung DeX, allowing the iPhone to function as a productivity hub when connected to an external display. These features could transform the iPhone 17 into a powerful device for work, bridging the gap between mobile and desktop experiences. By integrating these capabilities, Apple aims to cater to users who rely on their smartphones for a wide range of tasks, from managing workflows to creative projects. Seamless Hardware-Software Integration Apple's commitment to seamless hardware-software integration remains a cornerstone of its product philosophy, and the iPhone 17 is expected to exemplify this approach. With iOS 26, the synergy between the device's design and functionality will likely be more evident than ever. Key examples of this integration include: The liquid glass design, which complements iOS 26's updated visual language for a unified aesthetic. Enhanced multitasking features, such as split-screen functionality, that demonstrate the interplay between form and function. This cohesive approach ensures that every aspect of the iPhone 17 works together to deliver a seamless and intuitive user experience. By aligning hardware and software development, Apple continues to set itself apart in the competitive smartphone market. Listening to Customer Feedback Apple's focus on addressing user feedback is evident in the rumored updates for the iPhone 17. Features like slimmer bezels and advanced multitasking capabilities reflect the company's responsiveness to customer demands. By incorporating these enhancements, Apple not only strengthens its relationship with its user base but also demonstrates its commitment to delivering products that meet real-world needs. This user-centric approach could play a significant role in shaping the iPhone 17 as a device that resonates with a wide range of users. By prioritizing features that enhance usability and functionality, Apple continues to build on its reputation for innovation and customer satisfaction. Expanding the Apple Ecosystem The updates introduced with the iPhone 17 are likely to have a ripple effect across Apple's broader ecosystem, further enhancing the interconnected experience that defines the brand. For instance: The desktop-like mode could integrate seamlessly with macOS, allowing users to transition effortlessly between devices for improved productivity. Design consistency across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch reinforces Apple's ecosystem identity, creating a unified and cohesive user experience. These integrations highlight Apple's dedication to delivering a seamless experience across its product lineup. By making sure that its devices work together harmoniously, Apple continues to strengthen its ecosystem and provide added value to its users. What Lies Ahead As anticipation builds for the iPhone 17, the combination of a liquid glass design, enhanced multitasking features, and a potential rebranding strategy signals a bold evolution for Apple's flagship device. Rooted in customer feedback and ecosystem integration, these updates reflect Apple's ongoing commitment to innovation and user-centric design. While many details remain speculative, the iPhone 17 is poised to set new benchmarks in both functionality and aesthetics, solidifying its place as a leader in the smartphone market. Stay informed about the latest in Liquid glass aesthetic by exploring our other resources and articles. Source & Image Credit: The Apple Circle Filed Under: Apple, Apple iPhone, Top News Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.