Inside the Battle Over OpenAI’s Corporate Restructuring
1 min read
Summary
A growing coalition of activists is pushing back against plans by OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, to restructure its nonprofit parent company into a for-profit business that can focus on generating returns for investors as soon as 2027.
Orson Aguilar, who has spent nearly three decades fighting for the economic well-being of working-class communities, feared that the change would benefit the already rich and neglect the startup’s stated mission to benefit all of humanity with AI.
Aguilar kickstarted a campaign that has led to the creation of an advisory commission that includes legendary labour activist Dolores Huerta and aims to ensure that OpenAI’s restructuring adheres to the law and delivers on its charitable obligations.
The coalition of over 50 community organisations is also pushing the California attorney general’s office to ensure that the startup’s restructuring adheres to the law.
“We can’t let them disrupt our charitable system and get away with it,” Aguilar said. “It would be a shame if that was lost in the race to develop AI.
