Insiders React: Is OpenAI Evil? Reacting to Sam Altman's Latest Announcements w/ Jacob Ward

Nov 6, 2025

In this engaging discussion, technology journalist Jacob Ward, author of The Loop, shares insights on OpenAI’s latest announcements. He and the hosts delve into the shifting nature of ChatGPT from a product to a broad platform, exploring implications for the app ecosystem. Jacob raises alarms about emotional reliance on AI companions and examines the extensive infrastructure needs for AI development. The conversation also touches on ethical considerations and the role of OpenAI’s nonprofit arm in tackling societal issues. It's a thought-provoking exploration of AI's future!

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INSIGHT

AI Doing Years-Long Research

OpenAI aims for AI "research interns" by Sept next year and autonomous multi-year research by March 2028.
This signals a shift toward AI-driven long-term scientific work that raises novel alignment challenges.

INSIGHT

Alignment Talk Lags Technical Ambition

Jacob Ward warns alignment discussion remains underdeveloped compared with technical ambition.
Social scientists question claims of universal human values and highlight messy trade-offs.

INSIGHT

ChatGPT As A Platform Play

OpenAI is treating ChatGPT as a platform to host third-party apps and drive ecosystem value.
Turning ChatGPT into an embedded platform makes the product stickier and enables device strategies.

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OpenAI may appear to be building the future, but are they leading the tech industry towards collapse?

In this episode, Chris and Yaniv are joined by Jacob Ward (journalist, author of The Loop and NBC Technology Correspondent) to break down OpenAI’s latest livestream and what it signals about the next era of AI. Sam Altman may talk the good talk, but his actions, and the priorities of OpenAI at large, may not align with those claims. Chris, Yaniv, and Jacob unpack these differences between words and actions, the emerging social consequences, and what it all means for the tech industry.

In this episode, you will:

Understand OpenAI’s roadmap for AI-powered research and why "AI research interns" might be closer than you think
Learn why the promise of autonomous five-year research cycles raised eyebrows
Explore the shift from ChatGPT as a product to ChatGPT as a platform, and what that means for app ecosystems
Consider the emotional and psychological dimensions of AI companionship and reliance
Evaluate the trillion-dollar infrastructure buildup underway across data centers, GPUs, and nuclear-scale power demands
Examine how OpenAI’s nonprofit arm plans to invest in disease research and AI resilience

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