A Financial Times article claims OpenAI is in talks to remove a stipulation in its deal with Microsoft (MSFT, Financial) limiting access to its advanced AI models upon reaching artificial general intelligence (AGI). With Microsoft having committed over $13 billion into OpenAI, the action could allow closer cooperation and greater investment from the company.
Designed to protect AGI from commercial exploitation, the clause gives OpenAI's nonprofit board jurisdiction over such technologies and specifically excludes AGI from any commercial and intellectual property licensing arrangements.
Eliminating the clause solves issues around Microsoft's incentives for more investment perhaps being limited. The expenses linked to the development of innovative AI and OpenAI's restructuring as a public benefit corporation have made more financing necessary. Recently raising $6.6 billion in capital, the company values it at $157 billion and faces fierce rivalry from rivals such Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) and Amazon (AMZN, Financial). Speaking at a recent conference, CEO Sam Altman said the business is keeping flexibility in its plans and treating AGI as a milestone.
