Plain English with Derek Thompson

Inside the OpenAI Meltdown

9 snips
Nov 21, 2023
Charlie Warzel, a tech reporter for The Atlantic, alongside contributors Karen Hao and Ross Andersen, delves into the chaotic recent events at OpenAI, including CEO Sam Altman's dramatic firing and near rehiring. They discuss the complex corporate structure of OpenAI, the internal power struggles, and the implications for the future of artificial intelligence. With insights into the push for responsible AGI development, the guests explore the tensions between innovation and safety in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.
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ANECDOTE

OpenAI's Founding

  • OpenAI was founded at a dinner hosted by Sam Altman and Elon Musk.
  • They invited tech luminaries and AI experts like Ilya Sutskever.
INSIGHT

For-Profit Subgroup

  • OpenAI realized donations wouldn't cover the high costs of computational power and talent.
  • They created a for-profit subgroup to raise capital, governed by the nonprofit board.
INSIGHT

OpenAI's Internal Conflicts

  • OpenAI's history is marked by conflicts over power and control of AI's direction.
  • Disagreements between Altman, Musk, and Dario Amodei led to departures and Anthropic's founding.
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