Inside OpenAI's Rise Ambition and Ethical Challenges

OpenAI’s story is one of groundbreaking innovation intertwined with complex ethical questions. Two recent books, Empire of AI by Karen Hao and The Optimist by Keach Hagey, explore the rise of OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, revealing a narrative of ambition, power, and the ethical dilemmas facing AI today.

Karen Hao’s Empire of AI frames OpenAI as an empire driven by ambition that often overrides ethics. She coins the term “AI colonialism” to describe how large AI firms extract value from marginalized communities worldwide, exploiting labor and natural resources to fuel their growth. Hao’s investigative reporting takes her from data labelers in Colombia and Kenya to resource extraction sites in Chile, highlighting the human and environmental costs behind AI’s rise.

Hao contrasts this with inspiring efforts like the Maori community in New Zealand, which uses small, community-focused AI models to preserve their language and culture—offering a hopeful alternative to the centralized, exploitative AI industry.

Keach Hagey’s The Optimist offers a detailed biography of Sam Altman, tracing his childhood ambitions through his leadership at OpenAI. The book reveals Altman’s vision of building a technological empire that could rival nation-states in influence, including experiments with income distribution and identity verification through projects like Worldcoin.

Hagey also delves into personal aspects of Altman’s life, providing nuanced perspectives on family controversies and his internal reckoning with the profound implications of creating superintelligent AI.

Together, these books paint a portrait of OpenAI as a company at the crossroads of innovation and ethical responsibility, driven by a charismatic yet controversial leader. They challenge readers to consider the costs of AI’s rapid advancement and the future of technology as a force for either empowerment or exploitation.

As AI continues to reshape society, understanding these dynamics is crucial for developers, policymakers, and business leaders alike. The story of OpenAI is not just about technology—it’s about power, ethics, and the human impact of the digital revolution.