Sam Altman: Why Top AI Researchers Joined OpenAI for AGI

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says his company attracted almost all top AI researchers who believed artificial general intelligence, or AGI, was possible. He revealed that out of about 50 highly skilled researchers worldwide convinced AGI could be built, nearly 45 ended up at OpenAI. Altman explained that many people initially considered the idea of AGI unrealistic or even absurd. He noted the tech and research community often dismissed the potential for AI models to scale significantly. This included questions about massive costs and the possibility of creating superintelligence. He added that researchers also had to consider if the "alignment problem" could be solved, even without a clear answer at the time. Altman says this willingness to pursue an idea many found unrealistic helped gather researchers who shared a long-term vision. This shows how differing beliefs can shape the future of technology.