qwant news | Interviews with Sam Altman and 100+ people on if he can be trusted amid allegations of persistent lying and more: some defend him, others call him a sociopath

The New Yorker’s extensive investigation—built on more than 100 interviews and a cache of never‑before‑released internal memos—asks whether Sam Altman can be trusted after a series of allegations that he habitually lies and misleads. The piece presents a stark divide: some former collaborators defend Altman, while many others describe him as a sociopath who routinely distorts the truth, inflates user statistics and makes misleading financial disclosures. By weaving together fresh reporting with tightly guarded documents, the article shines a light on persistent doubts about the head of OpenAI.

Among the most damning findings are repeated accounts of Altman’s “consistent lies” and “misleading disclosures,” ranging from exaggerated active‑user numbers to questionable financial practices. Critics point to a pattern of behavior that includes withholding key information from investors and staff, as well as a reputation for breaking promises. Yet the investigation also notes the unusual loyalty of the OpenAI team—most of whom left after Altman’s 2023 firing and later rallied for his return—suggesting a complex dynamic where charisma and vision sometimes mask deeper ethical concerns.

The story has reverberated across the tech press, prompting commentary from Tech Brew, Business Insider, Bloomberg, The Verge and Marcus on AI, while also intersecting with broader industry turmoil: OpenAI’s CFO has voiced doubts about the company’s IPO readiness, and the firm has unveiled sweeping policy proposals for a superintelligence‑driven future. Together, these threads underscore an ongoing debate about leadership, accountability and the governance of powerful AI systems.

Read more: https://www.techmeme.com/260406/p8

#samaltman #newyorker #openai

Interesting thread from #RonanFarrow about his article in the #NewYorker about #SamAltman and #OpenAI. One thing that caught my attention was this characterization of AI companies in general as "too big to fail." That they could themselves take the US economy down with them, so to speak.

https://www.threads.com/@ronanfarrow/post/DWzNOMlkYlB?xmt=AQF0sXmS1epQ6gsnO_wr2qrRDlJQDmYqxyPHP7WobWYzz4Rt3qkLJVACGWZayF1XAuQ3PI77&slof=1

“This account of Altman’s time at #YCombinator is based on discussions with several Y.C. founders and partners, in addition to contemporaneous materials, all of which indicate that the parting was not entirely mutual. On one occasion, Graham told Y.C. colleagues that, prior to his removal, “Sam had been lying to us all the time.”

YC founders deceived …

““Guys, I’ve had enough,” Musk replied. “Either go do something on your own or continue with OpenAI as a nonprofit”—otherwise “I’m just being a fool who is essentially providing free funding for you to create a startup.” He quit, acrimoniously, five months later.”

Mini Oligarchs ripping off Oligarchs …

“Carroll Wainwright, another researcher, said that they were part of a “continual slide toward emphasizing #products over #safety.” After the release of #GPT-4, Leike e-mailed members of the board. “OpenAI has been going off the rails on its mission,” he wrote. “We are prioritizing the product and #revenue above all else, followed by AI capabilities, research and scaling, with alignment and safety coming third.” He continued, “Other companies like Google are learning that they should deploy faster and ignore safety problems.”

Profit over safety …

This “ #Altman / #OpenAI / #AI meets #Startups and AI Engineers” story by #RonanFarrow and #AndrewMarantz in the #NewYorker is everything you expect from USA tech and #SiliconValley these days.

#AI / #finance / #pathology <https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/04/13/sam-altman-may-control-our-future-can-he-be-trusted > (paywall) / <https://archive.md/a2vqW> / <https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47659135>

This is a brillant piece by a former #NewYorker #FactChecker who was fired by #CondeNast , because of his involvment with #LaborUnions to improve work conditions in such #journalism institutions. One key point in his rendering of his firing is that the fight for rights and liberties can only succeed if it is collective, because otherwise, it's just individuals surviving.

https://www.thenation.com/article/culture/new-yorker-fact-checkers-anonymous/

What Drives Patrick Radden Keefe?

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/02/style/patrick-radden-keefe-london-falling-new-yorker.html

"Over the course of a distinguished #journalistic career, #NicholasLemann has #written #books on American meritocracy (“The Big Test,” 1999), capitalism (“Transaction Man,” 2019), the black migration to the industrial North (“The Promised Land,” 1991) and the racial terrorism that plagued Reconstruction (“Redemption,” 2006).

“Returning: A Search for Home Across Three Centuries” is a more personal project. Here the #NewYorker staff #writer and emeritus dean at #ColumbiaJournalismSchool turns his lens on himself and his prosperous #Louisiana-based family of merchants, plantation owners and lawyers, embedding them in the #history of the #American #South and of #German #Jewish #immigration and #assimilation. The panoramic view and shifting of perspectives broaden the #book’s interest but detract from its focus.

The search for identity and community does give this sprawling, ruminative memoir a thematic unity."

https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/books/returning-review-jewish-roots-in-the-south-294d4c34