IM 835: Glitch Lord - Inside OpenAI's Secret Struggles and the 'Empire of AI' With Karen Hao

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Sep 4, 2025

Karen Hao, bestselling author of 'Empire of AI' and former senior editor at MIT Technology Review, dives into the tumultuous world of OpenAI. She reveals insights on internal conflicts, the shifting ambitions of leadership, and the commercialization of AI research. Delving into issues like the definition of AGI and the hype surrounding GPT-5, she critiques the AI industry's resource grabs and debates the implications of AI's rise on creativity and ethics. With engaging anecdotes, Karen showcases a landscape where AI’s trajectory is inconstant and requires vigilant scrutiny.

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ANECDOTE

Early Embed Triggered Security Alerts

Karen Hao embedded at OpenAI for three days in 2019 and found the company already nervous about journalists.
Security had her face circulated to guards during that visit, surprising her in hindsight.

INSIGHT

AGI As A Vessel For Belief

OpenAI lacked a consistent, rigorous definition of AGI, letting personal beliefs fill the gap.
That semantic vagueness fueled internal infighting and divergent company directions.

INSIGHT

Ego Behind Nonprofit Rhetoric

OpenAI's nonprofit positioning mixed ego with a desire to be seen as 'the good guys.'
That posture enabled an early drive for winning influence and control despite public claims of openness.

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Go behind the curtain at OpenAI as bestselling author Karen Hao shares stories of infighting, ego, and shifting agendas. Find out why even OpenAI's security had her face on alert during her investigation.

Karen Hao reveals OpenAI's secretive culture and early ambitions
OpenAI's shifting leadership and transparency: from nonprofit roots to Big Tech power
Defining AGI: moving goalposts, internal rifts, and philosophy debates
OpenAI's founders dissected: Altman, Brockman, and Sutskever's styles and motives
Critiquing the AI industry's resource grabs and "AI imperialism"
How commercialization narrowed AI research and the dominance of transformers
China's AI threat as Silicon Valley's favorite justification, debunked
Karen Hao details reporting process and boardroom chaos at OpenAI
GPT-5 skepticism: raised expectations, lackluster reality, and demo fatigue
Karen Hao's bottom line: AI's current trajectory isn't inevitable — pushback is needed
Harper Reed shares vibe coding workflows using Claude Code 
AI commoditization—why all major models start to feel the same 
Western vs. Chinese open-source models and global AI power shifts 
Google antitrust ruling: AI's rise dissolves traditional search monopoly
"Algorithm movies" spark debate over art, entertainment, and AI's creative impact 
Meta's AI talent grab backfires amid exits and cash-fueled drama
Anthropic's "historic" author settlement likely cements fair use for AI training 
DIY facial recognition: Citizen activists unmask ICE using AI tools 
Picks: Byte Magazine's 50th, AI werewolf games, Berghain bouncer AI test, and arthouse film
"Perfect Days"

Get "Empire of AI" (Amazon Affiliate): https://amzn.to/4lRra9h

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Jeff Jarvis, and Paris Martineau

Co-Host: Harper Reed

Guest: Karen Hao

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