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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has admitted that the company is “on the wrong side of history” regarding its approach to open-source technology. Speaking during an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Reddit, Altman acknowledged the growing internal discussions about the company’s openness and transparency in sharing its artificial intelligence (AI) research.
“I personally think we have been on the wrong side of history here and need to figure out a different open-source strategy,” Altman stated. However, he also noted that not everyone at OpenAI shares this view, and it is not currently the organization’s highest priority.
The recent remarks from Altman emerged during an intensified competition between AI businesses especially with the Chinese startup DeepSeek entering the field. DeepSeek’s R1 chatbot received recognition for its cost-effective high-performance solution together with its open-source public-friendly position which contrasts with the proprietary models of OpenAI and Google.
When asked if DeepSeek’s emergence has influenced OpenAI’s future ambitions, Altman acknowledged the company’s impressive capabilities. “It’s a very good model. We will produce better models, but we will maintain less of a lead than we did in previous years,” he admitted.
Open-source technology exposes source code to public view resulting in conflicts with private companies trying to protect their intellectual property and generate profits. Meta along with DeepSeek and France-based Mistral offer developers free access to examine how their development tools function which goes against typical proprietary practices.
As the AI landscape evolves, Altman’s candid acknowledgment signals a potential shift in OpenAI’s strategic direction, with open-source practices likely to play a more significant role in the company’s future.
