The recent headlines featuring OpenAI would provide enough material for a producer to make a biopic about it, and it seems that there will continue to be controversy between this company and Microsoft. In fact, OpenAI hasn’t hesitated to state that Microsoft won’t have a position on its board, nor will other minority investors.
It’s worth noting that, among other things, Microsoft holds 49% of OpenAI, positioning itself as its primary partner. However, with less than 51%, the company behind Windows cannot force OpenAI to make decisions it deems inappropriate. Thus, the creator of ChatGPT makes its stance clear, aiming to maintain independence.
The OpenAI Dilemma
According to reputable sources like Reuters, OpenAI doesn’t want Microsoft or any of its investors to have positions within its administrative core, regardless of the weight that Bill Gates’ company holds in its shareholding. In fact, the exclusion of Microsoft also extends to other investors; if Microsoft, with 49% ownership, doesn’t have that privilege, neither will other investors with smaller stakes.
In recent weeks, significant changes have occurred within OpenAI, primarily driven by the controversy surrounding events involving Sam Altman—his dismissal, subsequent return, and the subsequent dismissal of other company executives who mediated in the initial removal of OpenAI’s CEO. However, despite the changes made and those planned for their corporate structure, neither Microsoft nor other investors like Kosla Ventures or Thrive Capital will have a place in the company’s core.
ChatGPT, OpenAI’s treasure
It’s true that most of the interest surrounding OpenAI nowadays stems from the results achieved in its generative AI, ChatGPT, capable of responding to all sorts of written commands and performing a wide range of possible actions. In fact, this AI is so powerful that, besides paving the way for many other competitive AIs, it’s also reshaping the business landscape and entering into the production arena of thousands of jobs.
Moreover, it’s not just a tool causing profound changes in the world, but its core, currently GPT-4, is serving as the foundation for the construction of many other iterations. That’s why OpenAI has seemingly overnight become one of the most anticipated companies in the world of technology.
