OpenAI was founded in December 2015 by Sam Altman, Elon Musk, Greg Brockman, Ilya Sutskever, John Schulman, and Wojciech Zaremba, among others. Initially established as a non-profit AI research organization, OpenAI aimed to ensure that artificial general intelligence (AGI) benefits all of humanity. The company focuses on developing safe, ethical, and transparent AI technologies, prioritizing both innovation and responsibility in AI advancements.
2015-2018: OpenAI operated as a non-profit and focused on AI safety and fundamental research. The company released OpenAI Gym, a platform for reinforcement learning, and OpenAI Baselines, a set of high-performance reinforcement learning algorithms.
2019: OpenAI transitioned to a "capped-profit" model, forming OpenAI LP to attract investment while maintaining its mission-driven approach. It also introduced GPT-2, a powerful language model, but initially withheld full release due to concerns over potential misuse.
2020-2023: The company launched GPT-3 (2020), DALL·E (2021), and ChatGPT (2022), making AI more accessible to the public and businesses. In 2023, OpenAI released GPT-4, further improving language processing and reasoning capabilities.
Sam Altman (CEO, 2019–Present, except for November 2023)
Sam Altman has been the CEO of OpenAI since 2019, except for a brief departure in November 2023, when he was temporarily removed due to internal disagreements. However, he was reinstated within days following strong support from employees and investors.
Sam Altman is a tech entrepreneur and investor who was previously the president of Y Combinator, a well-known startup accelerator. He played a key role in OpenAI’s transition from a non-profit to a for-profit model and became its CEO. Under his leadership, OpenAI launched major AI models like GPT-3, ChatGPT, and DALL·E.
Greg Brockman is a software engineer and former CTO of Stripe, a major online payment company. He joined OpenAI as a co-founder and became its President, overseeing AI research and development. Brockman has been instrumental in OpenAI’s advancements in deep learning and generative AI.
Ilya Sutskever is a leading AI researcher who previously worked at Google Brain, where he contributed to deep learning breakthroughs. As OpenAI’s Chief Scientist, he helped develop powerful AI models, including the GPT series. His research focuses on machine learning, neural networks, and AI safety.
1. Microsoft & OpenAI (2019 – Present)
In 2019, Microsoft invested $1 billion in OpenAI to support AI research and development, providing the computing power for OpenAI's advanced models. The partnership deepened in 2023, integrating OpenAI’s technologies into Microsoft products like Azure AI, Bing Chat, and Copilot.
2. Elon Musk & OpenAI (2015 – 2018)
Sam Altman co-founded OpenAI in 2015 alongside Elon Musk and other tech leaders, aiming to advance artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity. Musk left the company in 2018 due to disagreements over its direction and concerns about AI safety.
3. Greg Brockman & OpenAI (2015 – Present)
Altman partnered with Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s President, who played a key role in developing GPT-3, GPT-4, DALL·E, and ChatGPT. Together, they focused on making AI technology more powerful and accessible while ensuring ethical AI development.
4. Worldcoin & Blockchain Partners (2020 – Present)
Sam Altman co-founded Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency and digital identity project, alongside Alex Blania and Max Novendstern. The project aims to create a global financial network by using iris-scanning technology to verify users' identities securely.
5. Y Combinator & Startup Ecosystem (2014 – 2019)
As President of Y Combinator, Altman helped fund and mentor startups like Airbnb, Stripe, Reddit, and Dropbox, accelerating their growth. Under his leadership, Y Combinator became one of the most influential startup incubators in the world.
6. Helion Energy (Nuclear Fusion, 2021 – Present)
Altman invested in Helion Energy, a startup focused on nuclear fusion technology to create clean and sustainable energy. He serves as chairman, supporting the development of fusion power as an alternative to fossil fuels.
7. The White House & U.S. Government (2023 – Present)
Altman collaborates with the U.S. government to shape AI policies and regulations, ensuring the responsible development of AI technologies. He has testified before Congress and engaged with global policymakers on AI safety and ethics.
OpenAI continues to advance AI with a focus on AGI safety, AI ethics, and accessibility. Its goals include enhancing AI reasoning, improving real-time learning capabilities, and expanding AI applications in enterprises. The company remains committed to developing AI aligned with human values, minimizing risks, and driving positive global progress.