Latest news with #SamAltman
Economic Times
2 hours ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Didn't think Elon Musk was going to abuse his power in the government: Sam Altman
Bloomberg Sam Altman, CEO, OpenAI and Elon Musk, founder, xAI Speaking at OpenAI's new podcast, CEO Sam Altman discussed a range of topics, from the potential ChatGPT 5 release date to the New York Times discussing the Stargate project, Altman said, 'I didn't think Elon was going to abuse his power in the government to unfairly compete.''I regret to say I was wrong about that,' he said. He was responding to the host's question regarding reports that Musk had attempted to derail the project. The Wall Street Journal had reported that Musk had made significant efforts to block the project unless it included his own AI startup, xAI. The 'Stargate UAE' project aims to build the world's largest set of AI data centres outside the United States, and its first phase is expected to come online by 2026. 'I just think it's really unfortunate for the country that he would do these things, and I didn't think, I genuinely didn't think he was going to,' he continued. However, he added that he is grateful that the administration did the 'right thing' and stood up to his also shared what it felt like to visit the $500 billion project's first site in Abilene, Texas. Also Read: OpenAI, Oracle developing 'world's biggest' AI training facility: Sam Altman 'I knew in my head what an order of gigawatt scale site looks like,' the OpenAI CEO said. 'But then to go see one being built and the, like, thousands of people running around doing construction and…. stand inside the rooms where the GPUs are getting installed and just, like, look at how complex the whole system is and the speed with which it's going is quite something.' The Stargate project is a $500 billion initiative that brings together major tech firms, with SoftBank and OpenAI leading the way. SoftBank manages the financials, and its CEO, Masayoshi Son, chairs the project, while OpenAI has taken responsibility for operations. Oracle and MGX have also come on board as equity investors. Altman had claimed that the facility in Texas would be the biggest in the world.
Mint
3 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
Microsoft and OpenAI forged a close bond. Why it's now too big to last.
Once tied at the hip, Microsoft and OpenAI increasingly look like rivals seeking an amicable divorce. But like all separations, it could get messy, and this past week OpenAI indicated it's willing to get down in the mud. When Microsoft and OpenAI first got together in 2019, the most powerful artificial intelligence in the world was literally playing games. AlphaGo from Google's DeepMind lab was the first machine to beat human Go champions, but that's all it did. AI as we know it now was still in its research phase. Venture capital's focus was on cloud and cryptocurrency start-ups, but Microsoft saw something in the nonprofit AI lab called OpenAI, which had just come off a bruising leadership battle that saw Sam Altman prevail over Elon Musk. Without Musk's billions of dollars, OpenAI changed to a bespoke structure in which a for-profit AI lab is controlled by a nonprofit board. Investors' returns were capped at 100 times their stake. The reorganization cleared the way for Microsoft to invest $1 billion in OpenAI in 2019. Those funds fueled the release of ChatGPT in November 2022—the spark to the AI prairie fire that is still spreading. Soon thereafter, Microsoft invested another $10 billion, which supported OpenAI's rapid expansion. Since then, the bills have added up, given the high cost of scaling AI. At first the two companies were symbiotic. All of OpenAI's AI computing is done on Microsoft's Azure cloud. Microsoft has access to all of OpenAI's intellectual property, including its catalog of models that underpin a range of AI services Microsoft offers with its Copilot products. When the OpenAI nonprofit board ousted Altman in a November 2023 coup, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella backed Altman, a key endorsement that helped restore his post. But the partnership that made so much sense from 2019 to 2023 has now made each company too dependent on the other. OpenAI has large ambitions, and Sam Altman believes it will need unprecedented computing power to get there, more than Microsoft can provide. He would also like more control over the data-center buildout. Altman's company also has increasingly go-it alone ambitions—it says subscriptions and licenses to ChatGPT are on track to bring in $10 billion a year. For its part, Microsoft now relies on OpenAI as both a major customer and supplier. That's the kind of concentration risk that should make Microsoft executives nervous. 'OpenAI has become a significant new competitor in the technology industry," Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a February 2024 blog post. This was the first public indication that the relationship may not have been as cozy as some supposed. Microsoft began working on its own AI models that year, and in October 2024, it declined to participate in a $6.6 billion OpenAI funding round. In January, Microsoft and OpenAI modified their agreement so that Microsoft would no longer be OpenAI's exclusive cloud provider, but would retain right-of-first-refusal for all new business. Microsoft hasn't been exercising that right to any large degree—OpenAI subsequently signed new cloud deals with CoreWeave and Alphabet's Google Cloud, two Microsoft competitors. The same January day as the deal modification, Altman stood in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump, Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison, and SoftBank Group CEO Masa Son to announce Project Stargate, an ambitious plan to raise $500 billion for a massive cluster of AI data centers controlled by Altman. The partnership and high-profile event made clear that OpenAI had new friends and had moved beyond its Microsoft reliance. The partnership on display in the Oval Office led to a $40 billion March funding round, led by SoftBank. But it came with a string attached: $20 billion of it is contingent on OpenAI doing another reorganization into a public-benefit corporation by the end of the year, which would give SoftBank and other new investors more conventional investor rights. But there are key hurdles in the way of that restructuring and the $20 billion, including a lawsuit from Elon Musk and regulatory approvals from California, Delaware, and the federal government. But the biggest obstruction is that Microsoft has a large stake in the current OpenAI. To convert corporate structures, OpenAI will have to negotiate new terms, and in a ticking-clock scenario like this, Microsoft has all the leverage, which grows each day. According to The Wall Street Journal, negotiations are getting testy. The main point of contention is how much of the new OpenAI Microsoft will own. But there is also the matter of OpenAI's acquisition of an advanced AI coding tool, Windsurf. Under their current arrangement, Microsoft has access to all of OpenAI's IP, and that would include Windsurf. But OpenAI doesn't want this, because Microsoft has its own coding assistant, GitHub Copilot, and this puts the companies on another axis of competition. In a joint statement, Microsoft and OpenAI told Barron's: 'We have a long-term, productive partnership that has delivered amazing AI tools for everyone. Talks are ongoing and we are optimistic we will continue to build together for years to come." According to the Journal, OpenAI thinks it could deter Microsoft from dragging out negotiations by keeping open the possibility of publicly accusing Microsoft of antitrust violations and lobbying the White House to open an investigation. Since the Stargate announcement, Altman has had a close relationship with Trump. In this regard, the Journal article is a message from OpenAI: We aren't powerless here. This is how the divorce could get ugly. Microsoft could slow-walk the talks, and as the end of the year approaches, the pressure would grow on OpenAI to settle, or lose $20 billion in funding. OpenAI, meanwhile, could start pushing on its White House levers to encourage some type of Microsoft investigation—what the WSJ called its 'nuclear option." But like any nuclear exchange, no one would emerge victorious. Microsoft would be tarred, and OpenAI would still miss its $20 billion deadline. Since the launch of ChatGPT, AI in the U.S. has been dominated by the Microsoft-OpenAI alliance. The now inevitable breakup has everyone scrambling to fill the void. Write to Adam Levine at
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Here's what made Tesla CEO Elon Musk calls OpenAI CEO as SCAM Altman
The long-running feud between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has escalated once again. Now, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has publicly labelled OpenAI CEO as ' SCAM Altman '. Replying to a post by a user Robert Wiblin on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Elon Musk wrote 'SCAM Altman'. This latest dig on the OpenAI CEO reignites the debate over OpenAI's mission, leadership trustworthiness and its commercial trajectory. Here's what made Tesla CEO Elon Musk calls OpenAI CEO as SCAM Altman Elon Musk's remark on Sam Altman came in response to a post shared by a user named Robert Wiblin on X. The post shared by Wiblin consists of a video juxtaposing historical statements from Sam Altman and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman about OpenAI's non-profit, open-source mission with its current structure and business practices. The post questioned, "OpenAI how it started vs how it's going. Can we really trust Sam Altman or OpenAI with AGI ?" Musk's simple, yet potent, reply of "SCAM Altman" served as a clear endorsement of the skepticism raised. The core of Musk's criticism, and the underlying reason for his "SCAM Altman" moniker, centers on what he perceives as a betrayal of OpenAI's founding principles. Musk was a co-founder of OpenAI in 2015, established as a non-profit entity dedicated to developing artificial general intelligence (AGI) for the benefit of humanity, rather than for profit. He departed the organization in 2018, citing disagreements over its direction. Musk has consistently argued that this shift compromises OpenAI's original mission, turning it into a "closed-source de facto subsidiary" of Microsoft and prioritizing profit over public good. He has even filed lawsuits against OpenAI, alleging breach of contract and that the company has strayed from its initial non-profit commitment. Sam Altman says Elon Musk abused government power Recently, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has accused Elon Musk of abusing his power within the government to unfairly compete following the recent election even as he praised the Trump administration for pushing back against what he perceives as inappropriate actions by the Tesla CEO. Replying to a question on Musk's alleged role in derailing the development of Project Stargate in a podcast, Altman expressed his disappointment, saying that he previously believed Musk would not engage in such actions. "I had said, I think also externally, but at least internally after the election that I didn't think Elon was going to abuse his power in the government to unfairly compete," Altman said, adding, "And I regret to say I was wrong about that." Altman emphasised his broader concern, stating, "I mean, I don't like being wrong in general, but mostly I just think it's really unfortunate for the country that he would do these things, and I didn't think I genuinely didn't think he was going to."
Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
ChatGPT-maker OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's POV on kids may make you rethink having babies in 2025
Rising living costs, job uncertainty, shrinking disposable income, and the constant drumbeat that AI is about to change everything — it's no surprise that many are anxious about starting a family in 2025. Social media might have you believe no one's getting married or having kids anymore — but that's not the full picture. In this climate, the perspective of Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI (the company behind ChatGPT), on raising children in the age of AI is worth paying attention to. Especially if you're unsure whether your future kids should even bother preparing for something like the IIT-JEE. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says artificial intelligence will make his children more capable than previous generations, though not necessarily more intelligent. Speaking on the first episode of the OpenAI Podcast, Altman, who recently became a father, said that tools like ChatGPT will shape how his children grow up — not by competing with AI, but by learning to use it well. 'My kids will never be smarter than AI. They will grow up vastly more capable than we grew up, and able to do things that we cannot imagine. And they'll be really good at using AI,' he said. He said the goal is not to beat AI in intelligence, but to adapt alongside it. Altman also mentioned he used ChatGPT 'constantly' in the early weeks of parenting, asking basic childcare questions. 'Clearly, people have been able to take care of babies without ChatGPT for a long time. I don't know how I would have done that.' While Altman's view on kids might sound optimistic — that they'll grow up more capable thanks to AI — there's an uncomfortable flip side. What if parents aren't equipped to prepare their kids for this future? What if they can't afford the kind of education or training needed to compete in a world where average skills won't cut it, and entry-level jobs are no longer easy to find? Altman acknowledged that AI could lead to social complications — especially around how people emotionally engage with machines. 'There will be problems. People will develop these somewhat problematic — or, maybe, very parasocial relationships, and, well, society will have to figure out new guardrails,' he said. Still, he believes the benefits will outweigh the risks. Mobile finder: Best price for iPhone 16 One of the more pointed observations Altman made was about how much trust people place in ChatGPT, despite its tendency to hallucinate. 'People have a very high degree of trust in ChatGPT, which is interesting, because AI hallucinates. It should be the tech that you don't trust that much,' he added.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
OpenAI CEO accuses Meta of offering $100 million bonuses to poach employees
Meta has allegedly tried to recruit employees from competitor OpenAI by offering bonuses as high as $100 million, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman claimed on a podcast that aired Tuesday. "[Meta] started making giant offers to a lot of people on our team," Altman said on the Uncapped podcast, which is hosted by his brother. "You know, like $100 million signing bonuses, more than that [in] compensation per year." Meta's Zuckerberg Aiming To Dominate Ai Race With Recruiting Push For New 'Superintelligence' Team: Report Meta's alleged attempts to recruit OpenAI workers come as the tech giant works to advance its artificial intelligence strategy and build a superintelligence unit that can meet or exceed human capabilities, according to Reuters. None of OpenAI's "best people" have so far accepted Meta's alleged offers, Altman said. Meta Signs 20-Year Nuclear Power Deal With Constellation Read On The Fox Business App Competition to recruit artificial intelligence workers has reached an all-time high, with some believing that individual workers can heavily influence the trajectory of a company's success, Reuters reported. "I've heard that Meta thinks of us as their biggest competitor," the OpenAI CEO said. Openai Says This State Will Play Central Role In Artificial Intelligence Development Altman's claims follow reports earlier this month that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is working on building a superintelligence team from a group of artificial intelligence researchers and engineers. The Facebook owner plans to hire about 50 people for the team and will personally recruit most of the members, Bloomberg News reported. Earlier this year, Zuckerberg announced Meta is investing $65 billion into AI in 2025, including the construction of a massive data center. Meta did not immediately respond to Fox Business' request for article source: OpenAI CEO accuses Meta of offering $100 million bonuses to poach employees Sign in to access your portfolio
