Artificial Intelligence

Yudkowsky Critiques OpenAI's Stated Goals

Published NOV 3 2025

Story

Above: A photo illustration of the OpenAI logo displayed on a smartphone screen. Image credit: Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto/Getty Images

The Facts

The artificial intelligence researcher Eliezer Yudkowsky has claimed that OpenAI's new internal goals pose an existential threat to humanity, alluding to them in a post on X as "a plan to exterminate you."
Eliezer Yudkowsky on X
Yudkowsky is a founding researcher in AI alignment, co-founded the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI) — a nonprofit organization focused on reducing the risks associated with AI development — and was on Time Magazine’s 2023 list of the 100 most influential people in AI.
MIRI
MIRI
Time
The comment was in response to a list of new objectives from Sam Altman, such as creating an "automated AI research intern" by September 2026, which will operate using hundreds of thousands of GPUs, and a "true automated AI researcher" by March 2028.
Sam Altman on X
Other policies included a five-point AI safety strategy covering alignment, reliability and robustness, the ambition to build an AI factory to produce "1 gigawatt per week of new capacity" at reduced cost and turning ChatGPT into a "true platform" for businesses and users.
Openai on Youtube
Sam Altman on X
Altman claimed that the goals would enable OpenAI’s AI system to make “small” scientific discoveries by 2026 and larger ones by 2028, which Chief Scientist Jakub Pachocki said was part of the company’s aim "to accelerate scientific discovery…[and] the development of new technology."
Sam Altman on X
Openai on Youtube
Yudkowsky's criticism follows OpenAI’s new partnership with Microsoft, which enabled the company to restructure as a public benefit corporation, with Microsoft holding a 27% stake valued at $135 billion.
The Official Microsoft Blog
The Epoch Times
TechCrunch

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Techno-optimist narrative

OpenAI's ambitious roadmap shows a genuine commitment to beneficial AI development with concrete safety measures and humanitarian goals. The company's five-layer safety strategy and $25 billion nonprofit commitment to health and disease research demonstrate responsible leadership. This transparent approach prioritizes humanity’s well-being over profits.

Sam Altman on X

Techno-skeptic narrative

History teaches a clear lesson about taking threats seriously, especially when someone openly declares plans on AI that could eliminate entire populations. Smart people don't ignore these warnings just because the timeline seems uncertain. As such, there must be urgent action to rein in AI development under human control before it is too late.

Eliezer Yudkowsky on X