Report: OpenAI could leave California in last-ditch effort to avoid political scrutiny

Does Openai plan to leave California?

According to a new report from Wall Street JournalThe AI ​​giant led by Sam Altman discussed the possibility of having to move outside the Golden State because of the laws surrounding non -profit organizations and the Openai plan to restructure as a lucrative goal.

About a year ago, Openai announcement It plans to revise the structure of the company. Openai began as a non -profit organization, but the organization’s mission has clearly changed as her chatbot cat took off. In September 2024, Openai said that she intended to restructure the non -profit organization in a traditional for -profit company.

However, the return of its users and the technological community derailed parts of these plans. Earlier this year, the CEO of Openai Altman announcement This OpenAi will rather be structured in a for -profit company with the non -profit organization which retains control.

Openai’s attempt to appease everyone while getting what she wanted was now questioned. Other non -profit organizations, philanthropies, working groups and even Openai rivals such as Meta and Elon Musk (which, until 2018, were part of the board of directors of the non -profit organization) pushed the new arrangement of Openai, the Wsj Noted, saying that Optai violates the founding non -profit mission which could in turn break the law of the charity of California.

Prosecutors General in California and Delaware are now investigating Openai plan to restructure to see if the AI ​​giant breaks the law that regulates non -profit organizations, according to the Wsj. Following these surveys, Openai could be prosecuted by the States or be required to pay a regulation as restructuring conditions.

Openai enigma

Depending on what general prosecutors do, Openai can end up with a difficult decision, according to the Wsj.

OPENAI investors could draw $ 19 billion from the company, in the condition that funding is only given if these donors received equity in the for -profit company. The way in which Openai is currently configured, the non -profit group controls the company as a subsidiary and equity cannot be distributed in the same way as if it was strictly managed as a lucrative goal.

Thus, in order to receive these billions, which represents about half of its total funding in the past year, Openai has discussed the possibility of leaving California. But there is also a problem there for Openai. IA companies launch large wages to attract AI talents to their businesses. Many AI researchers are based in San Francisco. AI companies as Anthropic seem to have the intention of leaving California. The attraction of not having to suit their suitcases and to move their family outside the state can be another way for the rivals of Openai to convince their talent to make the jump.

Openai does not really seem to want to leave California. THE Wsj Reports that the company hired a team of lobbyists with close ties with Governor Gavin Newsom in the hope of avoiding any problem with its restructuring. But, depending on what these investigations arise, they may not have much choice.