OpenAI, the maker of the popular AI chatbot, has made significant changes to its mission statement, removing the word “safely” from its goal to benefit humanity. This shift in focus has raised concerns about the company’s priorities, particularly in light of several lawsuits related to the safety of its products.
OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit scientific research lab in 2015, with the original purpose of benefiting society by making its findings public and royalty-free. However, in 2019, the company created a for-profit subsidiary, which received a $1 billion investment from Microsoft. By 2024, this investment had grown to $13 billion. In late 2024, OpenAI raised an additional $6.6 billion from multiple investors, but this funding came with the condition that the company would convert to a traditional for-profit business, allowing investors to own shares and potentially occupy board seats.
In October 2025, OpenAI reached an agreement with the attorneys general of California and Delaware to become a for-profit public benefit corporation. This new structure split OpenAI into two entities: a nonprofit foundation and a for-profit business. The OpenAI Foundation owns about 25% of the stock in the OpenAI Group, a for-profit public benefit corporation. Microsoft owns a slightly larger stake, with 27% of OpenAI‘s stock. The company’s employees and other investors own the remaining shares.
The change in OpenAI‘s mission statement, which now reads “to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity,” has sparked concerns that the company is prioritizing profits over safety. Despite OpenAI‘s claims that safety remains a top priority, the removal of the word “safely” from its mission statement and the disbanding of its “mission alignment” team suggest otherwise. The company’s valuation has grown to over $500 billion, and it is reportedly in talks with SoftBank for an additional $30 billion investment.
The restructuring of OpenAI has also raised questions about the role of regulators in overseeing the company’s activities. The attorneys general of California and Delaware have been criticized for allowing OpenAI to abandon its mission of safety. Alternative models, such as the structure used by The Philadelphia Inquirer, a for-profit public benefit corporation owned by a nonprofit, have been suggested as a better way to balance the need for investment with the need to prioritize safety and the public interest.
The impact of OpenAI‘s mission makeover will be closely watched, particularly as the company continues to develop and deploy its AI technology. As OpenAI moves forward, it will be important to ensure that the company’s priorities align with the public interest and that safety remains a top priority. The company’s ability to balance its profit-driven goals with its responsibility to benefit society will be a key test of its commitment to its mission and its values.
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