New Yorker Publishes 18-Month Sam Altman Investigation
Is Sam Altman a dangerous hype man masking OpenAI's chaos or a visionary leader offering rare transparency on AI's risks?
Above: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in Washington, D.C., on March 11. Image credit: Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
This investigation reaffirms Altman's history of self-serving deception. Even in 2026, OpenAI's economics are a mess yet Altman seeks to distract with a splashy "superintelligence" blueprint right when the CFO is ringing the alarm bells. Leaving decisions about potentially civilization-ending AI models in the hands of someone this untrustworthy is genuinely dangerous.
Narrative B
Altman is an AI pioneer with a fundamental mission to transform humanity for the better. The recent launch of the OpenAI Foundation as well as the company's superintelligence policy paper show that Altman and his team are not the sociopathtic monsters some allege them to be. While competitors complain, Altman and OpenAI will continue to make the world a better place.
