Sam Altman, chief executive officer of OpenAI, during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco, California, US. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images
(EPICSTORIAN) – OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has dismissed Elon Musk’s $97.4 billion (£78.7 billion) bid to acquire the company, making it clear that OpenAI is not for sale.
Speaking at the Paris AI Summit, where global leaders have gathered to discuss artificial intelligence, Altman emphasized the importance of staying true to the company’s mission.
“The board will decide what to do there,” Altman told Sky News’ science and technology editor Tom Clarke on Tuesday. “The mission is really important, and we’re totally focused on making sure we preserve that.”
Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI, has been vocal about his opposition to its shift to a for-profit model and has taken legal action against it. In a statement Monday, he called for OpenAI to return to its original open-source, safety-focused foundation.
“It’s time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was,” Musk said. “We will make sure that happens.”
Sam Altman’s Vision on AI, Global Competition, and Safety
Altman revealed interest in collaborating with China on AI advancements, though he acknowledged the U.S. government might stand in the way.
“Should we try as hard as we absolutely can [to work with them]? Yes,” he said, but admitted uncertainty over Washington’s stance on the matter.
Chinese AI firm DeepSeek has intensified industry competition after unveiling a powerful AI model at a fraction of OpenAI’s ChatGPT cost. U.S. officials have raised security concerns, leading to its ban on some government devices.
Altman reassured that safety remains a top priority for OpenAI, even as regulatory debates unfold.
“Safety is integral to what we do,” he said. “We’ve got to make these systems really safe for people, or people just won’t use them.”
Industry discussions often focus more on affordability and technological progress than regulation. “That’s not actually the main thing that we’ve been hearing about—the main concern has been ‘can we make this cheaper, can you have more of it, can we get it better and more advanced.’”
US Vice President Warns Against AI Overregulation
Vice President JD Vance cautioned against excessive government oversight, warning it could stifle innovation. Speaking at the AI Action Summit, he likened the rise of AI to the invention of the steam engine, calling it an industrial revolution in the making.
“Now, at this moment, we face the extraordinary prospect of a new industrial revolution, one on par with the invention of the steam engine,” Vance said. “But it will never come to pass if overregulation deters innovators from taking the risks necessary to advance the ball.”
On his first foreign trip as vice president, Vance reaffirmed the Trump administration’s stance on AI, ensuring that American-developed systems remain free from ideological bias.
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“The United States will never restrict our citizens’ right to free speech,” he declared.
OpenAI’s Future: A Power Struggle in the AI Industry
Musk is pushing for OpenAI to return to its original model, while Altman remains firm on its current path. His rejection of Musk’s bid signals OpenAI’s determination to maintain independence.
