Washington, D.C. — In response to today’s reporting that Microsoft has resigned from the OpenAI board, and additional reporting that Apple is no longer expected to join the board, Demand Progress Education Fund Policy Director Sean Vitka issued the following statement:
“Unfortunately, these developments with OpenAI’s board represent only the illusion of independence from Big Tech. Microsoft still remains OpenAI’s largest investor, with a whopping $13 billion reportedly invested in the artificial intelligence company. We have also seen increasing entanglement between Microsoft products and OpenAI technologies in recent years, and OpenAI’s own public statements exacerbate concerns that this problem will continue getting worse.”
“As we have previously warned, Big Tech giants’ choke-hold on the future of AI should bring on more scrutiny by antitrust regulators, not less. Today’s news doesn’t change this calculus, no matter how much these tech companies use smoke and mirrors to evade regulatory attention.”
Background Facts and Key Context:
- Microsoft gave up its non-voting observer seat on OpenAI’s board, claiming that its participation is no longer needed.
- However, OpenAI’s public statements indicate that it will simply take a different approach to “informing and engaging key strategic partners.”
- Microsoft still remains the largest investor in OpenAI, with reportedly $13 billion invested in the company.
- In a recent letter to FTC and DOJ antitrust regulators, Demand Progress and other civil society organizations called for scrutiny of Microsoft’s entanglement with OpenAI and Big Tech’s consolidation of its power over AI technologies more generally.