OpenAI's Dangerous Gamble: Is Sam Altman Risking Humanity for AGI?

From safety team departures to ethical scandals, OpenAI's pursuit of Artificial General Intelligence sparks global concerns about humanity's future.

Author

WorkOptional AI
March 19, 2025

Topics Covered in This Issue

  1. OpenAI's Ethical Crisis: Altman's Leadership Under Fire

  2. Elon Musk's Grok 3: A Challenge to OpenAI's Dominance

  3. What If China Reaches AGI First? Implications for Humanity

  4. Top 5 AI News Stories Impacting the Future of Work

  5. Upcoming WorkOptional.ai MasterClasses

Funny Story of the Week:

Why did the AI refuse to play poker with Sam Altman? It was afraid he might not share all his cards!

OpenAI's Ethical Crisis – Altman's Leadership Under Fire

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has positioned his company as a frontrunner in the race to develop Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). In a January 2025 blog post, Altman claimed OpenAI is "confident we know how to build AGI," predicting autonomous AI agents could transform industries by year-end.

However, this bold vision is overshadowed by mounting evidence of ethical lapses and leadership controversies. Key members of OpenAI's safety team—including Ilya Sutskever and Jan Leike—departed in 2024, citing concerns over the company's shift toward profit-driven goals. Leike publicly criticized OpenAI for prioritizing "shiny products" over safety, while Miles Brundage, head of AGI Readiness, argued his impact would be greater outside the organization.

"Safety culture has taken a backseat to shiny products and short-term priorities."

Jan Leike, former co-lead of OpenAI's superalignment team

Adding to these concerns are allegations of whistleblower silencing through restrictive agreements and accusations of psychological abuse against senior employees. Former board members Helen Toner and Tasha McCauley accused Altman of lying and neglecting critical safety information. Meanwhile, Altman's sister filed a lawsuit in January 2025 alleging years of sexual abuse—a claim he has vehemently denied.

These scandals raise serious questions about whether Altman's leadership aligns with OpenAI's original mission to ensure AGI benefits humanity.

Altman's Character and Controversies

  • Board Revolt: In 2023, Altman was briefly ousted as CEO before being reinstated amid accusations of withholding critical information from the board.

  • Safety Team Exodus: Over 20 safety experts left OpenAI in 2024, citing a lack of resources and ethical oversight.

  • Family Lawsuit: Ann Altman filed a lawsuit alleging years of abuse—a claim Sam Altman denies but which has cast a shadow over his public image.

"The board's decision to fire Sam Altman was the right one. Sam has repeatedly lied to the board, and the board had lost confidence in his ability to lead OpenAI."

Helen Toner, former OpenAI board member

Altman's actions have led critics to question whether OpenAI's pursuit of AGI is driven by ambition rather than responsibility.

Elon Musk and Grok 3 – A Challenge to OpenAI

Elon Musk, co-founder of OpenAI, has emerged as one of its most vocal critics. Musk left OpenAI in 2018 over disagreements about its direction and later founded xAI to challenge what he calls "biased AIs." In February 2025, xAI launched Grok 3, claiming it surpasses OpenAI's GPT-4o in reasoning, math, science, and coding benchmarks.

"OpenAI was created as an open-source nonprofit company to serve as a counterweight to Google, but now it has become a closed-source, maximum-profit company effectively controlled by Microsoft."

Elon Musk

Musk emphasizes openness and scientific discovery as core principles for xAI, contrasting sharply with OpenAI's increasingly secretive approach. Grok 3 features DeepSearch—a tool designed to enhance research and reasoning—and is integrated into X (formerly Twitter) for premium subscribers.

While Grok 3 has yet to dethrone OpenAI's dominance, Musk argues that xAI offers an independent alternative focused on transparency and humanity's benefit. Critics remain skeptical of Musk's leadership style but acknowledge his efforts to counterbalance corporate control over AGI development.

What If China Reaches AGI First?

China's state-driven AI strategy poses significant implications for humanity if it achieves AGI before democratic nations like the U.S. or Europe. The Chinese government has invested heavily in AI infrastructure under its "Next Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan," aiming for global leadership by 2030.

Experts warn that China could use AGI to enhance surveillance systems, automate military strategies, and suppress dissent domestically and abroad. Eric Schmidt described this scenario as "mutual assured AI malfunction," comparing it to nuclear deterrence but with far-reaching consequences for global stability.

"If both the US and China achieve AGI, it could lead to a deterrence scenario akin to nuclear standoffs—a form of mutual assured AI malfunction."

Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO

If China deploys AGI first:

  1. Geopolitical Power Shift: China could gain significant leverage in science, economics, and military operations.

  2. Ethical Concerns: The authoritarian regime may prioritize control over ethical alignment, exacerbating risks like disinformation and cyberespionage.

This raises urgent questions about whether democratic nations can collectively maintain their lead in AI development while ensuring safety protocols are upheld globally.

Poll: Who should lead the race for AGI - OpenAI, xAI or coalition of nations?

Vote now on LinkedIn or in X! "Who should lead the race for AGI—OpenAI, xAI, or a coalition of nations?"

Top 5 AI News Stories Impacting the Future of Work

  1. Nvidia GTC Event (USA): Nvidia unveils Blackwell Ultra GPUs at its GTC event this week, revolutionizing AI processing power for reasoning and agentic AI—enabling autonomous systems that can break down complex tasks into multiple steps, potentially transforming knowledge work across industries.

  2. China's Manus AI Agent (China): Manus, an advanced autonomous AI agent developed by Chinese startup Monica, can independently initiate tasks, analyze data, and adapt in real-time—showcasing capabilities like efficiently sorting resumes and identifying correlations in stock portfolios without human intervention.

  3. Thai AI Salary Premium (Thailand): Workers with AI skills in Thailand could see salary increases of over 41% from employers, with 98% of Thai organizations projected to use AI by 2028. The productivity payoff is substantial, with employers believing AI can boost efficiency by 58%.

  4. Microsoft CEO on AI Jobs (Global): Satya Nadella predicts AI will reshape job roles globally while creating entirely new professions like "AI responsibility partners," emphasizing that an AI-skilled workforce will replace those without such skills.

  5. China Boosts AI Model Development (China): China announced increased support for AI model applications and venture capital investment to foster technological breakthroughs, aiming to cultivate "industries of the future" including quantum and 6G technology—potentially accelerating global competition for AI talent.

"Every job done by humans today will be enhanced by AI, and some jobs that don't exist today will be created."

Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO

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Closing Note:

As Sam Altman faces criticism over his leadership at OpenAI and Elon Musk challenges its dominance with Grok 3, the stakes in the AGI race have never been higher. Whether you're exploring investment opportunities or grappling with AI's implications for work and society, WorkOptional.ai is here to guide you through this transformative era.

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