Legendary tech investor Paul Graham recently defended OpenAI CEO Sam Altman amid a bout of negative press that has tarnished his once-pristine reputation. The controversies that have surrounded Altman recently include the collapse of OpenAI’s safety team and the botched introduction of an AI assistant with a voice resembling Scarlett Johansson. However, Graham put an old rumor to rest by clarifying that Altman was not fired from his position as president of Y Combinator, which is a renowned startup accelerator that Graham co-founded in 2005.
Graham revealed that Altman had the choice between focusing on OpenAI or Y Combinator and that he and his wife, Jessica Livingston, supported Altman’s decision to choose OpenAI. Axel Springer, the parent company of Business Insider, has a global deal with OpenAI to train its models on media brands’ reporting. This partnership demonstrates the far-reaching impact of OpenAI’s work in shaping technological advancements in media and beyond.
In addition to his leadership roles at OpenAI and Y Combinator, Altman is also involved in several other projects such as funding for artificial general intelligence research at MIT and creating a new nonprofit organization called The Future Fund aimed at funding long-term projects in science and technology. Graham acknowledged these achievements and praised Altman’s dedication to using technology for good. He emphasized that while there may be setbacks along the way, it is important to continue pushing forward with innovation in this rapidly changing field.
