Microsoft's 2018 OpenAI Doubts: Emails Reveal Skepticism

Microsoft executives had major doubts about funding OpenAI back in 2018, even calling their own AI work more advanced. That's according to emails revealed in the Musk v. Altman trial. Here's the thing: Internal communications show that top Microsoft brass, including CEO Satya Nadella, questioned whether to give more money to the then-small non-profit. They visited OpenAI and saw no immediate breakthroughs in artificial general intelligence. What's interesting is that OpenAI needed five times more computing power for its video game AI projects. The bottom line: Microsoft worried OpenAI would turn to Amazon if they didn't provide support. Roughly 18 months later, Microsoft made a landmark $1 billion investment after OpenAI created a for-profit arm. This shows how even the most successful partnerships can start with significant hesitation and internal debate.