San Francisco, CA, February 18, 2025 – OpenAI is evaluating a proposal to grant special voting rights to its non-profit board as a measure to safeguard its decision-making power amid recent hostile takeover attempts.
The move, reported by Reuters and the Financial Times, comes as the company navigates a transition toward a more traditional for-profit structure.
According to sources familiar with the discussions, CEO Sam Altman and board members are considering new governance measures that would enable the non-profit board to overrule major investors, including significant backers such as Microsoft and SoftBank. The proposal is seen as a preemptive step to block future hostile takeover bids, including an unsolicited $97.4 billion acquisition offer from a consortium led by Elon Musk that was rejected by OpenAI on Friday.
Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI who later departed the company, reportedly made the bid in an effort to prevent OpenAI from shifting toward a profit-driven model as it seeks additional funding to remain competitive in the rapidly evolving AI sector. OpenAI dismissed the offer and any future bids as disingenuous, emphasizing that the startup is not for sale.
While no firm decisions have been made regarding the special voting rights, the proposed governance change underscores OpenAI’s commitment to maintaining strategic control during its structural transition. OpenAI has not immediately commented on the report.
As the company weighs its options, the potential implementation of special voting rights could set a precedent for how AI startups balance investor interests with long-term strategic and ethical considerations in a highly competitive industry.
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In a sweeping regulatory move aimed at curbing misinformation and enhancing transparency, Chinese authorities have announced new rules requiring all AI-generated content to be clearly labeled.
In early 2025, a new trend dubbed “vibe coding” is reshaping the way software is developed. Coined by computer scientist Andrej Karpathy, vibe coding refers to a paradigm where developers increasingly lean on AI to handle the bulk of the coding work.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for March 19th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
South Korean police will deploy 14,000 officers in Seoul on the day of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment ruling, anticipating protests and security threats. The Constitutional Court is set to deliver its verdict soon, with heightened measures in place.
China and Kazakhstan have agreed to deepen cooperation in key areas, including trade, security, and Belt and Road projects. At a high-level meeting in Beijing, officials emphasised stronger political ties, economic collaboration, and cultural exchanges to advance their strategic partnership.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams completed an unexpectedly long 286-day mission on the ISS, returning to Earth aboard a SpaceX capsule after delays caused by technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday to discuss the progress made by U.S. President Donald Trump in ceasefire talks with Russia, with both leaders emphasising the importance of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
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