Sam Altman is probably the most influential person in the technology industry. He heads OpenAI, the company that effectively launched the current AI boom. He speaks publicly and persuasively about responsibility, AI safety, and the future of humanity. However, accounts from people who know him personally suggest that he has two faces.
The American magazine The New Yorker recently examined this topic and published an extensive investigation. Journalists Ronan Farrow and Andrew Marantz spoke to dozens of people close to Sam Altman to find out who he really is. The result is a portrait of a man whose public image and private conduct are diametrically opposed.
Truth Is Not a Commitment
Sam Altman has several critics who agree on one thing: the head of OpenAI has incredible powers of persuasion. One board member said that he combines two traits that do not work well together. According to him, Altman has a strong desire to be accepted and liked, yet at the same time is indifferent to what happens when he knowingly deceives someone.
Moreover, this is not an isolated view. Aaron Swartz, the famous hacker and internet activist, expressed a similar opinion. He warned those around him about Altman before his death in 2013. According to Swartz, Altman could not be trusted because he was a sociopath who would do anything for his own benefit.
Safety as an Empty Phrase
This is particularly alarming in the context of AI safety. The head of OpenAI frequently discusses this topic and regularly mentions it in his speeches and interviews. However, according to sources close to Altman, it is more a matter of carefully crafted marketing than genuine conviction. He allegedly uses statements about safety to win over skeptical scientists and engineers who otherwise would not work with OpenAI.
This is illustrated by a specific example from Dario Amodei, a former OpenAI employee and the current head of its competitor, Anthropic. He described a situation in 2019 when OpenAI was negotiating a billion-dollar investment from Microsoft. Amodei was concerned that Microsoft might circumvent the established safety commitments, so he pushed through a list of safety conditions to which Altman agreed. During the final review of the contract, however, he noticed an addendum that quietly sidelined the safety provision. When confronted, Altman completely denied the existence of this addendum. He continued to do so even when Amodei read the entire passage aloud to him.
Betraying a Partner
Microsoft experienced a similar scenario. Although it is a long-standing and key investor in OpenAI, the relationship between the two parties is no longer built on solid foundations. Microsoft supported OpenAI in its early days and, in exchange for its enormous investments, wanted a promise that it would be the exclusive cloud provider for OpenAI's AI models. At first, Altman found this very advantageous. Over time, however, he began bending the terms until he eventually stopped keeping his word altogether.
This culminated in a situation in which OpenAI, on the same day it confirmed Microsoft's exclusive status, signed a $50 billion deal with Amazon as the exclusive partner for another product. Microsoft responded immediately, stating that it intended to take the matter to court.
The Man Who Holds the Future in His Hands
Although some statements might make Altman seem like the embodiment of evil, former OpenAI board member Sue Yoon reached a simpler conclusion. According to her, Altman is not a cold-blooded manipulator with a carefully devised plan. She sees him merely as someone so immersed in his own reality that he is completely unaware of the world around him.
Either way, Altman's current and former colleagues agree that it is unwise to trust him blindly. After all, he is not an ordinary manager of a small company. He is a man whose decisions are shaping a technology that will significantly influence the coming decades.
