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 gave the impression to be a stunt to pressure Altman’s hand in what has develop into a bromance-gone-sour between the 2 tech CEOs.
Regardless, it bought us considering: 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 suppose ought to run OpenAI.
ZDNET’s LinkedIn ballot provided voters three choices: Altman, Musk, or one other candidate. Maybe unsurprisingly, Altman received by a landslide with 50% of the full votes, in comparison with Musk’s 23%. Whereas no third-party contenders materialized within the feedback, a number of voters famous that they’d choose “anyone BUT Musk,” full cease.
That sentiment possible stems from how a lot energy Musk already has within the AI house, particularly now that he is serving as an adviser to President Trump. Given the Trump administration’s latest reductions round AI security and regulation — which had been already nascent to start with — a Musk-controlled OpenAI may additional focus certainly one of AI’s largest gamers below a small umbrella of pursuits.
Altman could have come out on prime, nevertheless it’s onerous to say whether or not that is based mostly on his {qualifications} or observe document, or simply that he is not the opposite man.
In the meanwhile, Altman is making an attempt to boost $40 billion from traders whereas additionally extracting OpenAI’s for-profit arm, OpenAI LLC — throughout the subsequent two years — from the better mum or dad firm, OpenAI Inc. (a non-profit). Some theorize that by tossing this provide out now, Musk is making an attempt to place a valuation on OpenAI and thus stick Altman in a troublesome spot together with his board, and forcing him right into a fraught negotiation with Musk over the bid.
