“Godfather of AI” Geoffrey Hinton Criticizes OpenAI’s Shift Toward Profit

Geoffrey Hinton, widely regarded as the “Godfather of AI,” has sharply criticized OpenAI for departing from its non-profit roots, as the organization edges closer to becoming a for-profit entity. Hinton, a British-Canadian computer scientist renowned for his groundbreaking work on artificial neural networks and a Nobel laureate in physics, expressed his concerns over the tech company’s shift in direction.

“OpenAI was founded as an explicitly safety-focused non-profit and made various safety-related promises in its charter. It received numerous tax benefits and other advantages from its non-profit status,” Hinton told The Indian Express.

Founded with a mission to prioritize safety and public interest, OpenAI’s transition to a profit-driven model has sparked controversy. Hinton’s remarks were part of a statement accompanying an amicus brief filed by Encode, a youth-led non-profit, in support of Elon Musk’s lawsuit aimed at halting OpenAI’s for-profit transition.

Hinton, who left Google in May 2023 to openly address the risks of artificial intelligence, argued that the pursuit of profits by major AI companies could compromise the technology’s potential to benefit humanity. “Today, a handful of companies are racing to develop and deploy transformative AI, focusing on profits rather than humanity’s interests. The courts must intervene to ensure that AI development serves the public interest,” Hinton stated.

Currently, OpenAI operates as a complex organizational structure: the non-profit OpenAI Inc. oversees a holding company, OpenAI GP, which in turn controls a capped-profit subsidiary, OpenAI Global LLC. The latter was established in 2019 to commercialize AI technologies.

The transition has drawn legal challenges and opposition from key figures in the tech industry. In November 2024, Elon Musk filed a lawsuit to block OpenAI’s profit-focused restructuring, accusing the organization of abandoning its philanthropic mission. Meta also weighed in, addressing concerns in a letter to California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

As OpenAI navigates its controversial transition, Hinton’s critique underscores the growing tension between profit motives and the ethical development of artificial intelligence.