Sam Altman’s firing at OpenAI was ineffective Effective Altruism

Microsoft scored a major coup. [Bloomberg]( This is Bloomberg Opinion Today, a come-to-Jesus moment about the nonzero possibility of AI killing Bloomberg Opinion’s opinions. [Sign up here](. Today’s Agenda - Who controls [OpenAI](? - [Swifties in Rio]( were left to fry. - [Your bonus]( might make you cry. - Argentina’s new [president]( is a wild guy. My Cup Runneth Over Hmmmm: This past weekend, leaders of two companies went viral for doing things they’ve never done before. One was the president of a water bottle company. The others were board members of an AI research firm. Both camps probably considered their actions to be altruistic, but they couldn’t be farther apart in terms of effectiveness: Let’s start with [Stanley](. If you’ve spent a minute on [WaterTok]( this year, you’ll know that these brightly colored on-the-go mugs are [a millennial favorite](. Loyal customers have multiple vessels for different circumstances — one for the gym, one for the office, one for the nightstand. Some even keep one in the car, like this woman who needed to retrieve her cup after her vehicle caught [on fire](: Source: @danimarielettering on TikTok “Everybody is so concerned about if the Stanley spills,” she says. “But what about if it melts? It was on fire yesterday and it still has ice in it,” she exclaims while jingle jangling around her mug. If true, it’s a perfect endorsement for a product that’s “Built for Life.” And Terence Reilly, the president of Stanley, [knew that](: “We’ve never done this before, and we’ll probably never do it again … but we’d love to replace your vehicle,” he said in a response video. The level of publicity from this single TikTok — which has now been seen by over 80 million people — is on par with that of a Super Bowl commercial. A $35,000 Kia Sorento is the least Stanley can do, really. But even when taking into account the marketing serendipity of it all, this is an act of altruism, plain and simple. Which brings me to [OpenAI](. Late Friday, the board surprised the world by firing its co-founder and chief executive officer Sam Altman. “Apparently the board felt that Altman was moving too aggressively to commercialize OpenAI’s products like ChatGPT, and worried that this speed of commercialization raised the risk of creating a rogue artificial intelligence that would, you know, murder or enslave humanity,” Matt Levine [writes](. The decision completely blindsided investors and staffers, resulting in [an ugly]( tug-of-war. By Monday afternoon, more than 700 of OpenAI’s 770 employees [threatened]( to quit en masse if the board didn’t resign. [Microsoft]( reportedly got “just a few minutes notice” before the initial announcement went out, despite having plowed [billions of dollars]( into the company. You’d [expect]( high-profile investors to have some say in the matter, but “the board has no legal or fiduciary obligation to listen to them or do what they want,” Matt explains. Really, the only leverage they do have is money, which now that Microsoft has poached Altman, might end up being enough, he notes: “If [everyone quits to join Sam Altman at Microsoft](, then what is the point of continuing to control OpenAI?” Just take one look at the share price of Microsoft and you’ll know the answer: “Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella must think he is dreaming: Over the course of one whiplashy weekend, he went from watching the company’s $10 billion investment in OpenAI become jeopardized to managing to make the software giant’s position in AI look even stronger,” Dave Lee [writes](. Although the motives that drove the [board of directors]( to make this decision remain a mystery, some speculate that it stems from their belief of Effective Altruism — [the same religion]( that eventually [brought down]( Sam Bankman-Fried. Tyler Cowen has previously [said]( that EA “judges people and their choices by daring to ask if they add to the sum of human happiness.” That tracks with OpenAI’s [website](, which says “the Nonprofit’s principal beneficiary is humanity, not OpenAI investors.” If the board were to, say, have a come-to-Jesus moment about the nonzero possibility of AI killing us all, they’d fire Sam and his OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman in order to save humanity. But we’re not living in a sci-fi movie. “AI is no more dangerous than the many other existential risks facing humanity,” Tyler [argues](. We’re just as likely to die from [supervolcanoes]( or [stray asteroids]( or [nuclear war]( or the [ratpocalypse](, if F.D. Flam’s [latest column]( is any indication. Plus, letting Sam and his army of [heart emojis]( go doesn’t actually stop him from doing “evil” stuff, if that’s what people are scared about. As Matt says: “If your main worry is that Sam Altman is going to build a rogue AI unless he is checked by a nonprofit board, this weekend’s events did not improve matters!” For people who preach the principles altruism, it doesn’t appear to be all that effective. Maybe the Stanley president needs to join the board instead. “If you fail to plan, you [plan to fail](.” The Eras Tour at Estadio Olimpico Nilton Santos on November 17, 2023 Photographer: Buda Mendes/TAS23/Getty Images Imagine spending hundreds of dollars on a concert ticket — maybe thousands, if we’re counting flights and lodging — only to be whisked away to a medical tent after you nearly fainted from dehydration during the opening act. It’s incredibly cruel, and yet that’s what happened to some of Taylor Swift’s concertgoers on Friday. Swifties in Rio de Janeiro [waited for hours]( in scorching temperatures to see the pop star, with one 23-year-old [dying]( in the hospital after collapsing ahead of the performance. The heat index — a combo of heat and humidity — reached 59.3C, and the show for Saturday was [postponed]( due to concerns for people’s safety. A lot of fans say they lacked [access]( to water, and Taylor even stopped the concert herself [to throw a bottle]( from the stage to a thirsty attendee. Lara Williams says, “fans reportedly weren’t allowed to bring in their own bottles — a rule that has since been scrapped for future concerts.” Swift herself [was visibly struggling to breathe]( on stage after dancing in the thick air. Lara says, “this is a wake up call for the industry to adapt … While decarbonization is vital, the climate crisis is already affecting events. Thus, we need plans and infrastructure to adapt to what we’ve already locked in. Unfortunately, we’re terrible at this. Adaptation funding remains a small fraction of the money going toward mitigating emissions. Only one in five companies have a plan in place to adapt to global warming’s physical risks.” [Billboard]( estimates that more than 30 major concerts have been impacted by extreme weather this year alone. The Eras Tour certainly won’t be the last. Read [the whole thing](, free above the paywall. Telltale Charts Not to be an even bigger buzzkill, but if you’re an M&A girlie, you’re in for a world of hurt this bonus season. Paul J. Davies [says]( “there is likely to be a wider disparity” in banker bonuses than normal, because most of the money will be given to “people at risk of being poached by rivals,” and “merger-and-acquisition bankers are expected to feel the deepest cuts across the industry with bonuses down by 20% or more.” In case you haven’t heard, the guy with [the cloned dogs]( and [the unreal hair]( won Argentina’s election. “It’s hard to look beyond [Javier Milei’s] personal weirdnesses, such as his role as [an evangelist]( for tantric sex,” John Authers [writes](. But let’s try, shall we? Milei is big into dollarization, which will involve “not just the tying of an existing currency to the dollar, with no move allowed in either direction, but also the abandonment of the currency itself.” John, for his part, is skeptical. But “if all goes according to plan, this is about to be a big experiment in libertarian economics, in which the Argentine people have shown themselves willing to be the guinea pigs.” Has it been scientifically proven that the days leading up to Thanksgiving give shoppers an existential sense of self-doubt? Like, stuff is on sale, sure. But it’s not on sale enough. So do you buy the dress that’s 20% off, or do you wait until it’s 40% off on Friday?? The website says it’s in 223,489 other people’s carts so you’d better snag it before Betsey S. from Ohio gets the last one. Making matters worse is that it’s FINAL SALE, which stresses me out even more. Ahh, if only we could [do virtual try ons](, as Daniel Pimentel suggests. Retailers and shoppers are currently engaged in a friendly staring contest: “Store chains have worked through their mountain of inventory, so don’t need to discount as aggressively as last year. But consumers know that inflation is easing, and will be looking for bargains,” Andrea Felsted [writes](. Some people worry that falling prices may cause consumers to delay purchases and slow economic activity, but “deflation is normal in the goods sector — not some bogeyman to be feared,” Jonathan Levin [writes](. Better get that dress now, I guess: Further Reading The [new bank capital plan]( has some major flaws. — Bloomberg’s editorial board Elon Musk’s X drama is [hurting Tesla]( where it matters the most. — Liam Denning Want to help Gaza? Send America’s [floating hospitals]( to the war-torn area. — James Stavridis The Federal Reserve [needs to shut]( its pie hole. — Mohamed A. El-Erian A cornerstone of Europe's [petrochemical industry]( is nearing a 50-year low. — Javier Blas The West Bank was already [a dystopia]( for Palestinians. Israel is making matters worse. — Ruth Pollard What if we had a new cold war — and [we were the Soviets](? — Niall Ferguson Israel’s attack on Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital [is likely legal](, but it’s heartbreaking. — Jill Goldenziel Today’s “violent” Congress would make [Civil War-era lawmakers]( laugh. — Stephen Mihm André 3000’s [flute album]( is exactly what hip-hop is about. — A.D. Carson ICYMI Happy Birthday, Biden! [How old]( is too old? New York City is failing [mentally ill]( people. Jimmy Carter’s [love for Rosalynn]( trumped all. The [#MeToo moment]( for doctors has arrived. A union for bankers? Wells Fargo [gives it a go](. Kickers America’s great [hazing ritual]( begins. Cocktails are [sandwiches]( now. The Macy’s Day Parade has [mushrooms](. Red Lobster [lost $20 million]( on shrimp. Martin Scorsese’s [birthday cake]( is for the kids. Notes: Please send Ultimate Endless Shrimp and feedback to Jessica Karl at jkarl9@bloomberg.net. 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