The hottest startup in Silicon Valley is in flames. So is the fiction that anything other than the profit motive is going to govern how AI gets developed and deployed.
  • Kokesh@lemmy.worldEnglish
    49·
    11 months ago

    Maybe I’m starting new conspiracy - wouldn’t this be a way for Microsoft to practically snatch whole Open AI for themselves?

    • slaacaa@lemmy.worldEnglish
      261·
      11 months ago

      It was most likely a pre-planned move (copying a comment I made on Monday):

      1. Sam wants to push for more & quicker profit with MS and VC backing, but board resists, constant conflicts
      2. Sam aligns with MS, hatch a plan on how to gut OpenAI for its know-how, ppl, and tech, leaving the non-profit part bleeding out in the gutter
      3. Sam & MS set a trap: Sam crosses some red lines, maybe taking commercial decisions without board approval. Potentially there was also some whispering in key ears (e.g, Ilya) by seemingly helpful advisors/VCs to push & pull at the same time on both sides
      4. Board has enough after Sam doesn’t back down, fires him & other co-founder guy
      5. MS and VCs go full attack to discredit board. After some info gathering, they realize they have been utterly fucked
      6. Some chaos, quick decision of appointing/replacing ppl, trying to manage the fire, even talking to Sam (btw this might have been a fallback option for MS, that the board reinstates him with more control and guardrails, weakening the power of the non-profit)
      7. Sam joins MS, masks are off
      8. Employees on the sinking ship revolt, even Ilya realizes he was manipulated/fucked
      9. OpenAI dead, key ppl join MS, tech and rest of the company bought for scraps. Non-profit part dead. Capitalist victory

      Source: subjective interpretation/deduction based on the available info and my experience working as a management consultant for 10 years (dealing with lot of exec politics, though nothing this serious)