Under pressure from civil society, Sam Altman announces a major strategic shift for the company behind ChatGPT.
On May 5, 2025, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, stated that the company was officially abandoning its ambition to become a for-profit company. This announcement marks a significant strategic turning point for the iconic player in generative AI, as debates around governance, ethics, and public interest have never been more intense.
For several months, the legal evolution of OpenAI was causing serious concerns. In particular, leaders from civil society and regulation experts highlighted the risks of a profit-oriented business model in a technological field where the stakes far exceed traditional economic logic.
« We have heard the concerns of civil society stakeholders », explained Sam Altman, thus justifying the decision not to pursue the project of transforming OpenAI's structure into a for-profit company. This initial direction, desired by some investors, aimed to maximize returns in a context of explosive growth in the artificial intelligence market.
However, the idea of prioritizing shareholder interests over ethical and societal imperatives had triggered a wave of criticism, both in academic and political circles. Many observers feared that this direction would distance OpenAI from its founding mission: ensuring that general artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity.
A new hybrid structure: between public interest and technological development
As part of this reorganization, OpenAI specified that:
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The organization will continue to be controlled by the current nonprofit entity;
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The existing for-profit structure will become a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC), which means a for-profit company integrating a public interest mission into its statutes;
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The nonprofit will remain the majority owner and ensure the governance of the PBC;
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Finally, both entities will share the same mission: to ensure that artificial intelligence benefits humanity as a whole.
This decision could, in the short term, affect certain investment prospects, but it allows OpenAI to reaffirm its position as a reference player on issues of AI safety, transparency, and governance.
Translated from OpenAI renonce à devenir une société à but lucratif
To better understand
What is a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) and how does it differ from a traditional for-profit corporation?
A Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) is a corporate structure that, unlike a traditional for-profit corporation, incorporates missions of public interest into its statutes. This means that while seeking profitability, the PBC must also consider the impact of its decisions on society and the environment.
What is the significance of maintaining a nonprofit entity as the majority owner in the context of OpenAI's hybrid structure?
Maintaining a nonprofit entity as the majority owner ensures that OpenAI's strategic decisions remain aligned with its founding mission of public benefit, thus limiting the influence of private financial interests on the company's governance.