Sam Altman’s Trust Issues at OpenAI

About this episode

<p>At the end of February, OpenAI’s C.E.O., Sam Altman, made headlines by swiftly cutting a deal with the Pentagon for his company to replace Anthropic, which <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-inquiry/the-pentagon-went-to-war-with-anthropic-whats-really-at-stake" rel="noopener noreferrer">had balked</a> at the Trump Administration’s bid to use its A.I. technology to power autonomous weapons and aid in mass surveillance. Days earlier, Altman had publicly supported Anthropic’s position in the dispute. Altman’s rise to power and his founding of OpenAI were predicated on placing safety above other concerns in developing artificial general intelligence. Why did he change his stance on such a fundamental issue? The <i>New Yorker</i> writers Ronan Farrow and Andrew Marantz spoke with Altman multiple times and interviewed more than a hundred people for their <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/04/13/sam-altman-may-control-our-future-can-he-be-trusted" rel="noopener noreferrer">investigation</a> into the leader of one of the most powerful companies in the world, comparing Altman to J. Robert Oppenheimer. Although there is no smoking gun in Altman’s hand, the writers find that persistent allegations about his conduct underscore the danger of entrusting him to wield such vast power over the future. </p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Further reading:</strong></p> <ul> <li>"<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/04/13/sam-altman-may-control-our-future-can-he-be-trusted" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sam Altman May Control Our Future—Can He Be Trusted?</a>,” by Ronan Farrow and Andrew Marantz</li> <li>“<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-financial-page/the-dangerous-paradox-of-ai-abundance#rid=24f44c6e-b5cf-4d4b-aea3-6b74e42d6b19&q=ai" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Dangerous Paradox of A.I. Abundance</a>,” by John Cassidy</li> <li>“<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/infinite-scroll/the-ai-bubble-is-coming-for-your-browser#rid=24f44c6e-b5cf-4d4b-aea3-6b74e42d6b19&q=ai" rel="noopener noreferrer">The A.I. Bubble Is Coming for Your Browser</a>,” by Kyle Chayka</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p>New episodes of The New Yorker Radio Hour drop every Tuesday and Friday. Join host David Remnick as he discusses the latest in politics, news, and current events in conversation with political leaders, newsmakers, innovators, <i>New Yorker</i> staff writers, authors, actors, and musicians.</p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p>