Is Microsoft blocking OpenAI’s next move?
Microsoft and OpenAI’s partnership faces uncertainty as reports indicate Microsoft may abandon negotiations regarding OpenAI’s transition into a for-profit entity. The potential departure stems from disagreements over anticompetitive business practices and Microsoft’s desired share in OpenAI’s Public Benefit Corporation (PBC).
Should Microsoft choose to end negotiations, it will continue its current partnership with OpenAI, set to expire in 2030. This arrangement allows Microsoft early access to OpenAI’s AI technology in exchange for computing power and funding.
Despite the uncertainty, sources close to Microsoft maintain that the company hopes to reach a mutually beneficial agreement with OpenAI. Another source indicated satisfaction with the existing contract, stating, “The market cares about how much revenue Microsoft is making . . . not about how much equity it owns in OpenAI, [and] this deal moves revenue away from Microsoft.”
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has stated, “Every day that ChatGPT succeeds is a fantastic day for Microsoft,” noting that Microsoft profits from each use of ChatGPT. Computing power has become a point of contention, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman claiming that Microsoft’s resource allocation could hinder OpenAI’s progress in the AGI race. Altman has also stated that OpenAI faces no compute constraint.
Altman says Meta offered $100M to transfer OpenAI staff
OpenAI has unveiled the $500 million Stargate project to address its increasing computing requirements. Earlier reports suggested that Microsoft withdrew from two data center deals to avoid supporting additional ChatGPT training.
Microsoft’s AI CEO, Mustafa Suleyman, revealed the development of its own AI models, anticipating a 3 to 6 month delay compared to OpenAI. Microsoft has begun testing third-party AI models in Copilot, responding to complaints that GPT-4 is too expensive and slow.
The core of the disagreement reportedly centers around intellectual property rights following OpenAI’s interest in acquiring Windsurf, an AI-powered coding tool for $3 billion. This acquisition has raised concerns about potential conflicts with Microsoft’s GitHub Copilot.
A source with ties to OpenAI claims Microsoft is delaying OpenAI’s for-profit transition to maintain its lead in the AI sector. The person added, “Holding out is Microsoft’s nuclear option . . . and they are just making OpenAI sweat.”
OpenAI is expected to transition into a for-profit entity by the end of this year. Failure to reach an agreement with Microsoft could jeopardize billions in investor funding and expose the company to potential hostile takeovers.