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Despite OpenAI’s ongoing legal challenges in India, three sources familiar with the matter have confirmed that CEO Sam Altman, the head of the Microsoft-backed firm, is scheduled to visit the country next week. This will mark Altman’s first trip to India in two years.
Reports indicate that Sam Altman is scheduled to visit New Delhi on February 5th. One source has suggested that a meeting with government leaders could take place during his visit.
People said that the schedule is still being established and that his plans may still be subject to change.
OpenAI, India’s IT ministry, and the office of Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not reply to demands for comment.
In terms of user count, OpenAI claims India to be its second-largest market, after only the US.
During his 2023 visit to India, Altman met with Modi in New Delhi to explore the ways artificial intelligence (AI) could foster growth in India’s technology sector.
Since then, OpenAI has encountered multiple legal obstacles in India. Last year, a local news agency called ANI took legal action by challenging it in a court in New Delhi, alleging copyright infringement.
Additionally, book publishers and almost a dozen online media outlets, including those controlled by Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, two billionaires, have subsequently become parties to the lawsuit.
Indian courts do not have the authority to consider the case, according to OpenAI, which claims it solely makes fair use of publicly available data.
Separately, this week saw the rise of DeepSeek, a Chinese AI rival, which set off a worldwide tech market smash. In the US, DeepSeek’s AI Assistant is now the most highly rated free software on Apple’s software Store, surpassing ChatGPT.
