Altman, OpenAI get bogged down in political spending fight

OpenAI, the artificial intelligence firm that birthed ChatGPT, is struggling to distance itself from pro-AI super PAC Leading the Future and its Silicon Valley backers as the industry faces backlash over its midterm election donations.  OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is facing new questions over the company’s affiliation with Leading the Future, which is backed by OpenAI co-founder and president Greg Brockman and his wife.

While the couple donated $25 million in their personal capacity, Brockman’s leadership role at OpenAI has spurred confusion over who or what is really behind one of the biggest spending groups this cycle. Several news outlets and political figures have called it an “OpenAI-linked PAC,” even as the firm denies any affiliation. 

After OpenAI came out with another statement distancing itself from Leading the Future earlier last week, Altman still took heat after meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

When asked about OpenAI’s involvement in a lobbying campaign and multiple primaries across the country last week, Altman told reporters, “I don’t think we’ve been involved in a massive lobbying campaign. Maybe you know something I don’t.”

“I mean, we’ve done some for sure, but relative to other companies in our indsutry, I think we do much less,” he added. 

This followed up on OpenAI’s statement two days earlier that “ “no outside political group speaks or represents our company’s views.”

The firm said that OpenAI “does not direct the activities” of Leading the Future nor does it “have visibility into their operations.”

But political strategists suggest OpenAI and Altman may not convince voters that the firm is completely separate from the massive election spending this cycle. 

“I don’t think any of the folks that support AI, any of the companies that are involved, could, at this point, assure voters that they’ve really been hands off,” political strategist Basil Smikle told The Hill, adding he doesn’t think it’s “a reasonable position to take.”

“Voters are very aware of the role of the super wealthy in elections,” Smikle added. 

OpenAI is planning an initial public offering soon with an estimated valuation of $852 billion, alongside its top competitors, Anthropic and........

© The Hill