OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has emerged as one of the most influential AI leaders in the world. Every word he speaks is widely covered and taken with utmost seriousness. His influence spans governments as well as businesses. However, a recent report has raised questions about whether he truly understands the technology he is promoting and warning the world about in terms of its capabilities and risks.
The New Yorker recently published a report based on interviews with numerous OpenAI insiders who have worked with Altman. According to the report, many people within his circle believe that he is not a technical expert but a skilled manipulator. It further stated that multiple engineers have claimed he misuses or confuses basic technical terms.
Sam Altman is a Stanford University dropout who left after two years of studying computer science in 2005 to launch his first company, Loopt.
Built OpenAI as a businessman
The report stated that Altman built OpenAI not because of his engineering skills, but as a businessman by leveraging investors’ money and engineers’ technical talent. The publication claimed that he stands out due to his ability to convince very different groups of people with conflicting priorities by making them believe he supports their concerns.
Former OpenAI researcher Carroll Wainwright, speaking to the publication, commented on Altman’s level of influence and strategic skill. He said Altman is extremely good at convincing people and can change how people think or feel so smoothly that they do not even realise it.
A senior executive at Microsoft said of Altman, “I think there’s a small but real chance he’s eventually remembered as a Bernie Madoff- or Sam Bankman-Fried-level scammer.”
Concerns around 2023 firing
Meanwhile, the report also investigated what happened behind the scenes when Altman was fired as CEO in 2023. Based on interviews with people connected to the matter, it stated that some board members did not find Altman trustworthy enough to lead the company at a time when they believed OpenAI was nearing the creation of an AI that could rival or surpass human cognitive capabilities.
Some board members accused him of deceiving them about internal safety protocols and said he exhibited a consistent pattern of lying. The publication also substantiated some of the allegations raised by the OpenAI board in its investigation.
