OpenAI founder Sam Altman doesn’t like its name: Here's why

OpenAI, the artificial intelligence research company co-founded by Elon Musk and Sam Altman, is re-evaluating its own name according to Altman himself. In a recent podcast, Altman expressed reservations about whether "OpenAI" truly reflects the company's current direction.

This introspection comes after years of debate around the company's openness, particularly regarding its software development practices. While OpenAI releases some research findings publicly, a significant portion of its technology is not open-source.

Altman said: “Speaking of going back with an Oracle, I'd pick a different name.”

"We started off just thinking we were going to be a research lab and having no idea about how this technology was going to go," he said, adding, "This was before we had any idea about an API or selling access to a chatbot. It was before we had any idea we were going to productise at all."

Shedding light on the future plans, Altman said that OpenAI may not be completely open-source but it is open in other ways.

“So if we can keep putting free or low cost or free and low cost powerful AI tools out in the world, I think that's a huge deal for how we fulfill the mission.”