OpenAI Is Not for Sale, says Sam Altman

OpenAI chief Sam Altman has once again reiterated that the company is not for sale, dismissing recent speculation about a potential bid from X chief Elon Musk. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Altman said, “The OpenAI mission is not for sale.” This comes amid reports that Musk, who is working on his own AI venture, xAI, has been trying to acquire OpenAI.

Altman believes Musk’s actions are aimed at slowing down OpenAI’s progress. “I think he’s probably just trying to slow us down,” Altman said. “He obviously is a competitor.” Altman further expressed a preference for competition through innovation rather than tactics like lawsuits. “I wish he would just compete by building better products,” he said.

Regarding OpenAI’s structure, Altman clarified that the company is not moving to a for-profit model. In December last year, the company published a blog in which it said that OpenAI’s Board of Directors is reviewing its corporate structure to ensure it aligns with the mission of benefiting all of humanity through artificial general intelligence (AGI). 

The company said the goal is to choose the best non-profit/for-profit structure for long-term success, ensure the sustainability of the non-profit, and equip both arms to support the mission.

“We’re not moving to a for-profit model where we’re not sure we’re going to do it all,” he said. The nonprofit aspect of OpenAI will continue to be important, with the board exploring options for its future structure.

Altman is attending the Paris Action Summit, which is focused on using AI technology wisely. He spoke about the importance of infrastructure and economic growth and mentioned OpenAI’s latest product “Deep Research” as an example of innovation. 

Musk and a group of investors made a bid on Monday to buy OpenAI for around $97.4 billion. The bid is aimed at acquiring the nonprofit organisation that controls OpenAI. The group includes Musk’s AI company, xAI, investment firms like Vy Capital, and notable investors such as Ari Emanuel.

However, Altman took to X to reject the offer and suggested that OpenAI would rather buy Twitter for $9.74 billion.