Artificial Intelligence’s Potential Falls Short in OpenAI Board’s View

I was the first venture investor in OpenAI, and the weekend drama served as a stark reminder of my belief that the wrong board can damage a company. Fancy titles such as “Director of Strategy at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology” can create a false sense of understanding of the complex process of entrepreneurial innovation. The misapplication of OpenAI’s board members’ “effective altruism” religion could have hindered the world’s progress towards tremendous benefits from artificial intelligence. With AI, we could have free doctors for everyone and near-free tutors for every child on the planet. The potential benefits are enormous, but it is crucial to recognize that good founders are essential for any successful company. Sam Altman is an excellent example of a founder who takes risks head-on and is entirely focused on making the world a better place. While things may go wrong, and abuse may occur, the benefits of good founders far outweigh the risks of bad ones.