In a significant development for the AI industry, a group of OpenAI employees has formally requested that attorneys general in California and Delaware intervene to block the company’s planned conversion from a nonprofit to a for-profit entity. This move highlights growing internal tensions at one of the world’s leading artificial intelligence organizations, as workers express concerns about the potential shift away from OpenAI’s original mission of developing AI that benefits humanity rather than shareholders.
The employees’ petition argues that the proposed conversion would violate the company’s founding charter and potentially redirect its focus from safety and ethical considerations toward profit maximization. This comes at a critical juncture for OpenAI, which has experienced tremendous growth following the success of ChatGPT but has also faced leadership turmoil, including the brief ousting and return of CEO Sam Altman last year. The workers’ letter specifically questions whether the board’s fiduciary responsibilities to the nonprofit are being properly fulfilled in this transition.
This internal resistance represents a broader debate within the AI community about governance models and whether the development of increasingly powerful AI systems should be directed by profit motives or public benefit considerations. As regulatory scrutiny of AI companies intensifies globally, the outcome of this dispute could set important precedents for how AI organizations balance innovation with responsibility. The attorneys general have not yet responded to the petition, but their decision could significantly impact OpenAI’s future structure and the wider conversation about ethical AI development.