OpenAI discussion during Thanksgiving dinner!
You just arrived in Dayton, Ohio, following a lengthy overnight flight from San Francisco. You were on a layover in Denver when you checked your phone to learn that Sam Altman had been reinstated as CEO of OpenAI, following nearly a week of uncertainty and confusion.
The good news is that your small tech startup’s Slack workspace will no longer be overrun by memes, of which only a small percentage are truly funny. Although your coworkers may be skilled programmers, they may not always be funny. Even if you’re happy living the Silicon Valley dream, it’s always a good idea to return home and simplify your life.
Mummy: “Oh, my only child! I’m very happy you arrived home! It’s too far from San Francisco!
Telling your mother how happy you are to be back, you give her a hug. Even though it’s perfectly normal to say that you love your father—the man who literally raised you, changed your diapers as a child, and coached your Little League team until you realized computer science was more interesting to you than baseball—your dad gives you that awkward bro hug thing where you sort of clasp hands and then pat each other on the back because you have been socialized as a man and are therefore unable to tell him you love him.
Papa: “Hey, a busy week? I noticed that Sam Altman has returned. What exactly transpired there?
It’s there. You really just want to spend a few days away from it all. Even though you love what you do, startup life is hard and demanding, so you really don’t want to talk about it.
You say, “Oh, yeah, I’ll tell you later. Just allow me to put my bags away.”
You ascend the stairs to the bedroom you grew up in. You bought a “Big Bang Theory” poster when you were in middle school, which makes you feel really embarrassed.
Returning downstairs, you assist your dad, whose hands are smeared with turkey carcasses, by chopping some veggies. Abruptly, the doorbell rings.
Uncle Steve: “Hi there! It’s been a long time! Now that you are employed at Facebook, are you too good for us?
You reciprocate the bro hug, explain that you don’t work for Facebook and that the company you work for is actually called Meta these days, and then express your excitement about the B2B SaaS company you work for.
Uncle Steve: “Well, Elon Musk is a real character, isn’t he? Is Facebook renaming itself Meta?
You correct him, saying that Elon Musk did purchase Twitter and rename it X and that since then, things have been really crazy. In reality, Mark Zuckerberg is the CEO of Meta. Pablo, your college flatmate, was devastated when he was let go last year. Although he eventually got back on track, you once attempted to land him a position at your B2B SaaS company, which is developing this really incredible
Uncle Steve: “Thank you! That’s the man from Tesla! But you know that AI stuff? What took place there?
It’s finally here. The OpenAI dialogue
With grace, your aunt adds.
Uncle Carol: “Oh Steve, let’s not talk business just yet! How is the world going? Are you dating someone?
Your Aunt Carol has somehow discovered the one subject you are less interested in discussing than OpenAI. Because startup life is so hectic and you hardly use the app, you’re pretty sure your Tinder Elo score is low. Could this be the reason you’re not receiving many matches? You then change direction.
Yes, the OpenAI developments have been extremely bizarre. Sam Altman, the CEO, was abruptly fired without explanation, and the president also tendered his resignation. Investors were incensed because this company, which was supposed to make them extremely wealthy, was suddenly in disarray.
and nobody was sure how long this whole thing would take. Because Microsoft owns a significant portion of OpenAI, they offered Sam and Greg jobs. However, nearly every employee at OpenAI threatened to leave if Sam wasn’t given his job back, so things have just been hectic. Isn’t the game on, huh?
After leading your uncle and aunt into the living room, you switch on the television. You know enough to get by, but you’re not much of a football geek. You used to study football scores after graduating from college and working in consulting, so you would have something to talk about at networking events. As it turns out, that got you your current position at this incredibly interesting B2B SaaS startup.
Uncle Steve: “Go, Ohio State!”
You return your focus to football. Asking people about their interests is the best way to steer a conversation, as you discovered during your Wharton summer session.
“What transpired at Texas A&M? I heard there was a buyout.”
Uncle Steve: “So, Texas A&M receives this enormous $165 million check from a donor during halftime, and guess what happens the following day? After firing him, they bought out their coach Jimbo Fisher’s contract for $76 million! Does this sound like something that would occur in your universe? I still don’t get the whole OpenAI thing, by the way. That Chat GTX is made by them, correct?
No, no. Your knowledge has backfired, just like many of the things you learned in that summer program at Wharton.
Jennifer, your cousin, looks up from her phone and says something for the first time.
“No, Dad, it’s ChatGPT, and Kayla used it to write her college essays, and she still got in,” says cousin Jennifer.
You give an excuse so you can keep assisting your parents with the Thanksgiving meal preparation. The doorbell rings once more as you peel potatoes, being cautious to move the peeler away from you rather than towards you. It’s Aunt Pat from Cleveland, who works for a medical billing company.
She tries to strike up a conversation as you welcome her and show her to the family room where the game is being played.
Aunt Pat: “AI is a hot topic at work right now! We frequently utilize Salesforce Einstein. Has OpenAI appointed a new CEO yet?
“Oh, yeah, Sam
Jennifer, a cousin: “Yes, my girlfriend is a VTuber.”
You fervently hope that your uncles and aunts will fall for Jennifer’s obvious bait and inquire as to what the heck a VTuber is. That would buy you a good few quiet minutes. Plus, VTubers are far more hipsters than executives in AI. However, nobody pursues that further. When you’re going to inquire as to whether Jennifer’s girlfriend has a mocap setup,
Altman is back now, but Emmett Shear, the guy who started Twitch, was appointed before that. Many people use that live streaming platform, which is owned by Amazon, to stream video games and other content. It’s true that people enjoy watching others play video games.
Uncle Steve: “So, is anyone actually aware of what went wrong with that Sam guy?”
“Although the details are still unknown, COO Brad Lightcap stated that there was no breach of financial or security standards and that the majority of the management team was unaware of it. It’s feasible that ideology played the main role. Certain individuals believe that Sam is overly eager to create more intelligent AI quickly. Since OpenAI is meant to be creating AI responsibly, is it possible that Sam was moving too quickly for OpenAI to be acting responsibly? However, there is another group of people who believe that there is no stopping the inevitable, which has led to online arguments.
The board officially explained it was because he wasn’t being open and honest with them, but that could really mean anything! To be honest, I’m just relieved that everything was resolved before Thanksgiving, so I can stop worrying about it all and truly unwind. I see. I should go see if Mom needs assistance with the casserole.
They ignore the warning.
Aunt Pat: “Don’t be ridiculous; I noticed the casserole was already out of the oven when we arrived. What are your thoughts on all this AI stuff, then? I don’t want it to replace me, if you know what I mean, even though it does make my job easier.
It’s difficult to say right now. While I don’t think generative AI can fully replace human creativity just yet, it can automate tasks that would take humans longer to complete, which makes sense for why generative AI is so useful in the workplace. Oh, and how’s work going?
“Oh, it’s the holidays; I don’t want to talk about work,” said Aunt Pat. I understand there have been numerous layoffs in the Bay Area; do you believe your position is secure?
Indeed, I believe that the work my company is doing is truly revolutionary, and innovation offers the best job security. Being a B2B SaaS startup, we stand out for the following reasons:
Aunt Pat: “Wait, wasn’t this whole thing so confusing because of something about the board structure? What transpired once more with the OpenAI board?
The distinct aroma of freshly baked turkey fills the air. You gather yourself, knowing that your questioning will end in a matter of minutes.
“So, OpenAI is essentially a holding company that owns the majority of OpenAI, encased in a tax-exempt charity? It’s a little unclear. It’s sort of attempting to be both a for-profit tech giant and a charity at the same time, but the CEO could be fired at any time because the nonprofit arm controls the for-profit arm.
This is very different from the way businesses like Meta function because Mark Zuckerberg controls such a large portion of the business that the board cannot fire him.
Dad: “It’s almost time for dinner! Proceed towards the table now!
Dinnertime, oh boy! You take your time putting the dishes on the table so that you spend as little time as possible alone with your relatives, who can’t stop asking you questions about OpenAI. The conversation slows down as everyone finishes their food, and you can finally enjoy the tranquility of returning home.
Uncle Steve’s constant “ah” sounds when he sips wine You don’t think he can possibly irritate you further tonight, but whatever—that’s part of family life, right? He looks up abruptly, as if he’s suddenly remembered something.
“So,” inquires your uncle. “What’s up with that fella from CZ?”
