OpenAI has deleted the word ‘safely’ from its mission; will AI serve society or shareholders?

Source Domain: www.wmnf.org

Here are the four main points from the article by Alnoor Ebrahim on developments within the company, OpenAI:

Shift in Mission Statement: The article notes that the company, OpenAI, removed the word “safely” from its mission statement as filed with the Internal Revenue Service. This shift coincides with its move from a nonprofit to a business increasingly focused on profits.
Legal Structure Change: In October 2025, the company restructured into a hybrid form consisting of a nonprofit foundation and a for-profit public benefit corporation, allowing for greater investor oversight and potentially higher profits without traditional controls, although it must report benefits and harms annually.
Profit vs Safety Priority: Ebrahim observes that the removal of “safely” from the mission statement suggests a higher emphasis on profits over the safety of their AI products, especially as the company deals with multiple lawsuits questioning the safety and ethical implications of its technologies.
Call for Better Governance: Ebrahim argues that alternatives like the models implemented by Health Net and The Philadelphia Inquirer could have been applied to provide public benefits without compromising the mission. The existing oversight by California and Delaware authorities also comes under scrutiny for not ensuring the mission of safety remains a top priority.

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