Sam Altman has flipped the script. After months of backlash, legal drama, and a whole lot of pressure, the OpenAI CEO says the company will stick to its non-profit roots after all. In a surprise announcement, Altman revealed that OpenAI will now remain under the oversight of a non-profit foundation, while spinning its profit-making side into a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC). That’s a big deal because PBCs, unlike traditional corporations, are allowed to chase profits and serve a broader public mission.
It’s a massive shift from where things were headed — and it’s clearly designed to calm fears about OpenAI becoming just another big tech money machine. “We want to put incredible tools in the hands of everyone,” Altman wrote, adding that OpenAI still plans to open-source more powerful models and give users greater control over how they use them.
AI for the people, not the power players
OpenAI has been under fire for drifting too far from its original, idealistic mission to “benefit all of humanity.” Elon Musk even sued the company over this, accusing it of putting profit ahead of ethics. And while Musk didn’t win in court, his arguments struck a chord with critics who’ve long called out OpenAI for not sharing its most powerful models.
Now, Altman is admitting that the company’s early roadmap was a little… foggy. Back then, some believed that AI should be tightly controlled by a select few. Today? The vibe is totally different. Altman now says the goal is to build “a brain for the world,” something that’s easy to use, open to everyone, and not locked behind a paywall or corporate firewall.
OpenAI’s non-profit will now hold controlling power over the PBC and its AI assets, including ChatGPT. The move comes just as Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is starting to feel more real — and a lot scarier.
But while Altman says that this move, to remain under the non-profit’s control is “for humanity”, by doing so, OpenAI is getting a massive cash injection of about $30 billion dollars, case which it desperately needs.
So, what’s next?
That’s the part nobody fully knows yet. OpenAI still needs the green light from attorney generals in California and Delaware, who helped nudge this decision along. It’s also got Microsoft — its biggest commercial partner — watching closely.
Will this change actually keep OpenAI accountable? Can a company chase both purpose and profit without tripping over itself? It’s too early to say. But one thing’s clear: Altman’s betting that giving power back to the non-profit is the best way to win public trust, keep regulators happy, and maybe, just maybe, make AI less terrifying.
Let’s hope the follow-through lives up to the promise.
