OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Defended Against Accusations of Prioritizing Profit Over Responsible AI Development

According to Odaily, a few days after OpenAI announced the establishment of a new safety committee, former board members Helen Toner and Tasha McCauley publicly accused CEO Sam Altman of prioritizing profit over responsible artificial intelligence development. They alleged that Altman concealed key progress from the board and fostered a toxic environment within the company. However, current board members Bret Taylor and Larry Summers have strongly defended Altman, refuting these allegations and affirming Altman's commitment to safety and management. They wrote, 'We do not accept Ms. Toner and Ms. McCauley's account of the OpenAI incident. We regret that Ms. Toner continues to reiterate issues that have been thoroughly investigated, rather than moving forward.' The two former board members stated that Altman's 'long-term behavior pattern' prevented the board from properly supervising 'key decisions and internal safety protocols.' However, Altman's current colleagues pointed out that the company's independent review of the conflict concluded, 'The review refutes any view that AI safety issues need to replace Altman. In fact, the investigation found that previous board decisions were not made out of concern for product safety or security, development speed, OpenAI's financial status, or its statements to investors, customers, or business partners.' Regarding the accusation that Altman fostered a toxic company culture, Taylor and Summers also refuted it, stating that Altman is highly respected by employees and is committed to cooperating with the government to mitigate the risks of AI development.