OpenAI, Growing Frustrated With Microsoft, Has Discussed Making Antitrust Complaints To Regulators (wsj.com) 17
Tensions between OpenAI and Microsoft over the future of their famed AI partnership are flaring up. WSJ, minutes ago: OpenAI wants to loosen Microsoft's grip on its AI products and computing resources, and secure the tech giant's blessing for its conversion into a for-profit company. Microsoft's approval of the conversion is key to OpenAI's ability to raise more money and go public.
But the negotiations have been so difficult that in recent weeks, OpenAI's executives have discussed what they view as a nuclear option: accusing Microsoft of anticompetitive behavior during their partnership, people familiar with the matter said. That effort could involve seeking federal regulatory review of the terms of the contract for potential violations of antitrust law, as well as a public campaign, the people said.
But the negotiations have been so difficult that in recent weeks, OpenAI's executives have discussed what they view as a nuclear option: accusing Microsoft of anticompetitive behavior during their partnership, people familiar with the matter said. That effort could involve seeking federal regulatory review of the terms of the contract for potential violations of antitrust law, as well as a public campaign, the people said.
Worked for Netscape and Novell, amirite? (Score:4, Funny)
I wish them luck.
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Everyone involved went in with eyes open, apparently it was the best deal Sam could get.
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To add on to this, I suspect that Altman's new stance regarding Microsoft has more to do with the explosive growth of OpenAI. The company is now valued way beyond what he could have dreamed when he got into bed with Microsoft, and now being bought out is no longer the optimal end game.
I wholly agree that this (like everything Microsoft does) either has antitrust issues or SHOULD have antitrust issues (they get away with a lot of terrible things because antitrust law is woefully insufficient). On the other h
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Sam never wanted OpenAI to be bought out, because Microsoft wouldn't have agreed to give him ridiculous equity for the questionable privilege of getting him to stay on a while as a CEO.
The amount of equity Sam will have the OpenAI board assign him in the IPO will make Tesla's board look honest.
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If anything, MS buying OpenAI would require that they start charging actual market price for AI 'services', so MS can make money off of it. In which case, Pro ChatGPT may cost $1k a month.
Rock'em Sock'em Robots (Score:3)
Two big full of shit companies dueling it out. Over what? AI. Don't care, let them crash and burn. Not even worthy of popping corn to watch.
Do not let (Score:3)
open AI be a for profit company. Do not.
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The alternative is that they dissolve into the entity that is Microsoft. Remember E, E & E. Years ago, venture capitalists used to ask startups how their business plans would handle Microsoft entering their market. Don't have a good answer? No money.
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OpenAI is not even a market leader anymore.
Most enterprises are using Anthropic as it is superior at most tasks. Meanwhile, Google is mopping up the consumer space.
Didn't they give that up? (Score:2)
Didn't they decide not to convert to for-profit [slashdot.org] after all? Or was that just a deception to make people think they'd given up while really still trying to do it?
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capitalists only ever lie and are legally required to do so so as to not hurt the bottom line. which kinda does tell you what they're really up to, doesn't it
eventually a scumbag is gonna scum so hard they win whatever the prize is for being the biggest scumbag, which is probably just human extinction. so we've got that to look forward to, at least
Best of luck... (Score:2)
They offered investment and access to cloud resources. If OpenAI wants to, they can make the move to other cloud providers or host their own services. Sure, moving to a other provider has challenges, but that's the case with every provider. Microsoft and Azure is no different than any other cloud provider out there in that regard.
I think Microsoft isn't investing in them as much and are increasingly treating them as an preferred Azure customer and OpenAI is complaining they aren't getting as big of a sweeth
You sold your soul to Microsoft, Sam (Score:2)
So you think you can just go your own way, just like that?