Earlier this week, Elon Musk made waves by providing Sam Altman $97.4 billion for OpenAI — which Altman swiftly rejected, countering with a taunt about shopping for Twitter for a fraction of that. As ZDNET’s Tiernan Ray defined, Musk’s provide seemed to be a stunt to power Altman’s hand in what has develop into a bromance-gone-sour between the 2 tech CEOs.
Regardless, it bought us pondering: Who ought to run what’s arguably probably the most highly effective AI firm on the earth?
We requested, you answered: here is who ZDNET readers assume ought to run OpenAI.
ZDNET’s LinkedIn ballot supplied voters three choices: Altman, Musk, or one other candidate. Maybe unsurprisingly, Altman gained by a landslide with 50% of the whole votes, in comparison with Musk’s 23%. Whereas no third-party contenders materialized within the feedback, a number of voters famous that they’d desire “anyone BUT Musk,” full cease.
That sentiment probably stems from how a lot energy Musk already has within the AI area, particularly now that he is serving as an adviser to President Trump. Given the Trump administration’s current reductions round AI security and regulation — which have been already nascent to start with — a Musk-controlled OpenAI might additional focus considered one of AI’s largest gamers underneath a small umbrella of pursuits.
Altman might have come out on prime, nevertheless it’s exhausting to say whether or not that is primarily based on his {qualifications} or observe report, or simply that he is not the opposite man.
In the meanwhile, Altman is attempting to lift $40 billion from traders whereas additionally extracting OpenAI’s for-profit arm, OpenAI LLC — inside the subsequent two years — from the larger mother or father firm, OpenAI Inc. (a non-profit). Some theorize that by tossing this provide out now, Musk is attempting to place a valuation on OpenAI and thus stick Altman in a tricky spot along with his board, and forcing him right into a fraught negotiation with Musk over the bid.
