How employees forced OpenAI’s president to back down
A set of internal Slack messages details the politics at one of the world’s most powerful AI companies.
On June 1, OpenAI's head of strategy, Jason Kwon, anticipated a blog post that would clarify the company's lack of involvement with Leading the Future (LTF), a super PAC aimed at defending AI from regulation. However, Kwon's internal Slack message revealed a different perspective: "Greg's support for LTF has been in a personal capacity, not on behalf of the company," Kwon wrote.
Despite this clarification, the open dissent was palpable. Within hours, an employee warned of a "dangerous trade-off" between OpenAI's political activity and talent retention, suggesting that the company's engagement could push researchers to Anthropic. The following day, Kwon acknowledged that the company was facing "reputational hits" and had drawn "clear public lines" but wished they had acted sooner.
Ten days later, OpenAI president Greg Brockman withdrew his $25 million commitment to LTF, citing a "terrible" feeling about the group's portrayal of the company. Brockman's decision, shared on the popular messaging app X, garnered significant support from his colleagues, with 40 heart emojis, five checkmarks, and three thank-you emojis.
The incident, detailed in internal Slack messages shared with Semafor, underscores the intricate political landscape within AI companies. While outsiders may view OpenAI as the "accelerationist" counterpart to Anthropic, the company's internal communications reveal a more nuanced reality. OpenAI's developers and researchers, fiercely competing for talent with Meta, Google, and startups, are increasingly concerned about unregulated AI and the political implications of their association with LTF.
One employee's sarcastic post about LTF funding a "sockpuppet" X account received widespread disapproval, with coworkers voicing their disgust. The pushback from employees played a significant role in Brockman's decision to withdraw his support for LTF. However, the controversy persisted, with employees expressing skepticism about the PAC's independence and questioning its alignment with OpenAI's stated goals.
As the debate unfolded, Brockman apologized for the portrayal of OpenAI and withdrew his additional donation, but the debate over LTF's influence on the company's reputation and talent retention remains unresolved.
Written by urgent.news from Semafor's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
