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An examination of OpenAI’s formative period highlights a growing divergence between its proclaimed mission and the realities of its operational choices. Karen Hao’s 2019 profile, initially published in MIT Technology Review, scrutinized the company’s evolving priorities, suggesting a move away from its initial emphasis on open collaboration and transparency.

Hao’s investigation, now expanded into her book “Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s OpenAI,” reveals a discrepancy between OpenAI’s carefully cultivated public persona and its internal mechanisms. The article details Hao’s access to the company and the ensuing response to her published findings, providing insight into the internal dynamics and pressures that shaped OpenAI’s path during its crucial early development.