Keach Hagey's compelling biography, "The Optimist: Sam Altman, OpenAI, and the Race to Invent the Future," offers an in-depth look at the life and career of Sam Altman, the enigmatic co-founder and CEO of OpenAI. Through Hagey's lens, we witness Altman's journey from his Midwest upbringing to his transformative roles at startup Loopt, accelerator Y Combinator, and ultimately, OpenAI.
One of the most striking aspects of Altman's career is the tumultuous period when he was fired and then reinstated as OpenAI's CEO. This event, now referred to as "the Blip" by OpenAI employees, exposed the inherent instability in OpenAI's complex structure, where a for-profit company is controlled by a nonprofit board. Hagey predicts that this "fundamentally unstable arrangement" will continue to raise concerns among investors, potentially impacting OpenAI's ability to secure the necessary funding for its operations.
Despite these challenges, Hagey believes that Altman's unique skill set as a deal maker may be well-suited to navigate these obstacles. However, she cautions that success is far from guaranteed. Altman's political leanings, which Hagey describes as "pretty traditionally progressive," have led to some surprising alliances, particularly in securing massive data center deals with the backing of the Trump administration.
Hagey also delves into Altman's response to the book and his trustworthiness, highlighting a pattern of selling a vision that may not always align with reality. This has led some to question his trustworthiness, a critique often leveled at those with a salesman's skill set. Altman's ability to convince others of his vision is a double-edged sword, as it can lead to both remarkable achievements and significant skepticism.
The biography also touches on Altman's family background, revealing the idealism of his father and the ambition of his mother. These influences, combined with his own experiences growing up as a young gay man in the Midwest, have shaped Altman's optimistic outlook on the world and his belief in societal progress.
In examining the broader debates about AI and its impact on society, Hagey finds herself less skeptical of AI's transformative potential, having witnessed its improvements firsthand. She observes that the extreme visions of AI, both utopian and apocalyptic, are part of the same narrative—that AI is of paramount importance and will revolutionize everything. As a journalist and biographer, Hagey presents these perspectives without taking a definitive stance, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions about the future of AI and the role of figures like Sam Altman in shaping it.