Open
OpenAI is an American artificial intelligence research organization whose stated mission is to ensure that artificial general intelligence (AGI)—systems surpassing human intelligence in economically valuable work—benefits all of humanity.[1] Founded on December 11, 2015, as a non-profit entity by co-founders including Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, Ilya Sutskever, Wojciech Zaremba, and John Schulman, it initially emphasized open collaboration and the advancement of digital intelligence in ways most likely to promote broad human benefit.[2][3] The organization has pioneered transformative AI technologies, including the GPT series of large language models, DALL-E for image generation, and the ChatGPT conversational interface launched in November 2022, which rapidly achieved over 100 million users and catalyzed widespread commercial and public adoption of generative AI.[1] In 2019, OpenAI restructured into a "capped-profit" model under the oversight of its non-profit parent, OpenAI, Inc., with for-profit subsidiaries to secure investments from entities like Microsoft while claiming to prioritize safety and mission alignment over unlimited returns.[3] This shift enabled scaling of compute-intensive projects but drew internal and external scrutiny for potentially subordinating original non-profit ideals to investor pressures.[3] Despite its name evoking transparency, OpenAI has released predominantly closed-source models, with limited open-weight variants like GPT-2, prompting accusations of hypocrisy relative to its founding commitment to freely sharing research for collective progress.[2] Co-founder Elon Musk, who resigned from the board in 2018 citing conflicts with Tesla's AI efforts, has repeatedly condemned the organization for mission drift toward profit maximization, alleging it violated the core agreement to maintain open, non-profit operations for humanity's benefit and effectively "stole" from its charitable origins.[2] Musk's 2024 lawsuit against OpenAI, ongoing into 2025, substantiates these claims by referencing the founding charter's explicit non-profit mandate, amid broader debates over AI safety lapses, such as the disbanding of internal safety teams and aggressive commercialization tactics including subpoenas against critics.[4] These controversies underscore tensions between rapid innovation and adherence to first articulated principles, with Musk's critiques gaining weight from his direct involvement in the organization's inception, even as media narratives often downplay structural deviations in favor of technological hype.[5]Etymology and General Meaning
Linguistic Origins and Core Definitions
The adjective "open" entered English from Old English ōpen, recorded before 1150 CE, denoting a state of being "not closed down, raised up" (as with gates or eyelids), or more broadly "exposed, evident, well-known, public," sometimes with negative connotations like "notorious."[6] This form derives from Proto-West Germanic ōpan and ultimately Proto-Germanic upanaz, an adjective meaning "open" or "uncovered," linked to the root upaną ("to open" or "put up"), which carried implications of elevation or revelation from a covered state.[7] The Proto-Germanic term traces to Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep- or upo, bases evoking "up from under" or "over," with cognates in Old High German offan ("open") and Old Norse opinn, reflecting a shared Germanic conceptual framework of spatial exposure and accessibility.[6][8] In its core semantic role, "open" fundamentally describes the absence of closure or barrier, permitting passage, visibility, or ingress, as in an "open door" or "open field" where no enclosure impedes movement.[8] This physical sense extends to unprotected or uncovered conditions, such as "open wiring" lacking insulation or "open wounds" without covering, emphasizing vulnerability to external elements.[8] Metaphorically, it connotes frankness or receptivity, as in "open discussion" implying unreserved expression, or availability for use, like "open for business" signaling readiness to operate without restriction. Dictionaries consistently prioritize these senses, with over 50 nuanced entries in historical compilations tracing expansions from literal to abstract domains, though obsolete usages (e.g., "open" as "generous" in medieval texts) have largely faded.[7]| Core Sense | Definition | Example Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Access | Not closed, barred, or obstructed; affording free passage or view | "The gate stood open, allowing entry to the yard."[8] |
| Exposure | Lacking covering, lid, or protection; extended or expanded | "Open skies revealed the stars above."[11] |
| Candidness | Frank, sincere, or undisguised in expression or intent | "She was open about her intentions."[12] |
| Availability | Ready for operation, use, or participation without prior closure | "The shop is open from 9 AM to 5 PM."[13] |