Interviews with OpenAI leaders, employees, and others on the company's reboot; Sam Altman says OpenAI would have a system he would call AGI by the end of 2026 (Alex Heath/Time)
Alex Heath … They hoisted signs to “stop the AI race” and scrawled chalk messages on the sidewalk.
One morning in August, demonstrators outside OpenAI's office held signs advocating for an end to the AI race. Insiders from the company's key customers began entering the modern beige building, known as MB0, where the research and computing teams were located. The protesters tried to block the view from the sleek lobby with a wall of shrubbery.
It was a tense scene as OpenAI previewed Astra, its advanced AI model family. CEO Sam Altman had recently returned from a private briefing with officials about Astra's capabilities. Researchers showcased the new model's potential through live demonstrations, including how 16 AI agents could collaborate on a complex math problem and navigate desktop software with superhuman speed.
Altman expressed optimism about Astra's impact, stating that it could lead to "persistent agents" and help discover new knowledge. The company faced criticism and setbacks, with former leaders leaving and legal challenges mounting. However, insiders emphasize that OpenAI remains a powerful player in the AI landscape, with ChatGPT being one of the most widely used AI products.
The company continues to prioritize compute power and has faced legal action from Anthropic, an AI rival co-founded by former OpenAI employees.
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