this post was submitted on 22 Nov 2023
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[–] [email protected] 84 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (4 children)

This is such a confusing and messy situation. There is definitely more going on that we dont know about. I already posted this in another thread but:

heres what I think could be going on:

tinfoil hat on

Some Microsoft bigwigs read the OpenAI foundation contract again and realise that they gave them a bunch of money but didnt get the nonprofit, and that they are now fully dependant on them, and that Altman is an experienced shark that knows this. They cant just buy the non-profit, the board would never agree. So they hatch a plan.

They get the lead researcher and a bunch of board members riled up against Altman, with a bunch of dirt they have on him. They tell them hes going to run off with the money and show some proof. The board decides to fire Altman. In the same breath but in another room microsoft hires altman, and promise all openAI employees employment at their new openAI bootleg. They then tell the board through the official channels, that they fucked up and need to resign.

Now, the situation was like this:

  • Either the board resigns, and microsoft gets to put some puppets in their place and complete buying openAI
  • The board doesnt resign, microsoft gets all their employees and the company in anything but name and openAI slowly fades in relevancy until Microsoft makes a generous offer of 150% above what they are worth(half of their price right now)

either way, microsoft wins.

so yeah, I think the next thing we are going to see is microsoft buying more openAI and getting actual control, or a complete buy.

[–] [email protected] 38 points 9 months ago

Sadly, I think you're absolutely right. This feels orchestrated in a way that allows a select few parties to look like visionaries, while eliminating others from getting in the way.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 9 months ago

Sadly all that crazy seems totally possible with Microsoft involved.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 9 months ago

Well yeah, Microsoft is very much in bed with OpenAI. It's not a huge mystery to see how this is going to play out.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

The only problem is that MS already owned 49% of openAi.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

but thats exactly why they did it! They want to be majority shareholder to get the company under their control, and the board was likely against putting more shares on the market!

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/20/technology/openai-artifical-intelligence-value.html

Here it says that just a month ago, there were rumors that they would do it, but then it didnt happen, so I believe altman wanted to but the board did not.