Sam Altman Admits OpenAI is ‘On the Wrong Side of History’ as DeepSeek and Open-Source AI Challenge Silicon Valley’s Status Quo

In an unexpected admission, the CEO of Openai, Sam Altman, admitted on Friday that his business was “on the wrong side of history” with regard to the transparency of artificial intelligence (AI).

The declaration, made during a session Ask Anything (AMA) on Reddit, marked a significant change in the current debate on the question of whether the models of AI should be open-source or closely kept by private companies .

“I personally think that we have been on the wrong side of the story here and that we must find a different open source strategy,” Altman wrote in response to a question about the lack of transparency of Openai. However, he noted that “everyone in Openai does not share this point of view, and it is not our current priority either.”

Altman’s comments occur at a time when OpenAi undergoes increasing pressure from the Open Source competitors, in particular Chinese depth, whose rapid progress has shaken Silicon Valley and the world technological industry.

The rise of Deepseek: the disruptor of the opening of China

Deepseek, an AI startup founded by a team of former researchers from Tencent University, Alibaba and Tsinghua, made the headlines at the end of 2024 with the publication of his Chatbot R1. This model offers performance comparable to the OPENAI GPT-4 to a cost fraction.

But what really distinguishes Deepseek is his open-source approach. Unlike Openai, who headed for a closed commercial model, Deepseek positioned himself as an initiative of AI in the public spirit which allows developers around the world to freely access and modify its technology.

Deepseek’s decision was immediately considered a direct challenge for Openai, Google Deepmind and other West AI leaders. While Openai and Google justify their secret as a means of protecting intellectual property and preventing improper use of AI, Deepseek argued that openness promotes innovation and confidence in AI.

Deepseek’s impact was felt almost overnight. In the weeks following its release, the main developers, startups and AI universities began to experiment with the open-source models of Deepseek, reducing their dependence on the owner systems of Openai and Google.

Even government agencies and companies in Europe, India and the Middle East began to explore Deepseek as an alternative, citing concerns about American technological domination and data sovereignty.

The rise of Deepseek sent shock waves through the Silicon Valley. While Meta, Mistral and some other AI companies have adopted open source models to various degrees, the established giants – Opennai and Google Deepmind – remained determined to keep their IA breakthroughs closely.

However, as Deepseek has shown that high performance AI can be built and openly shared, it has forced a wider industry calculation. Suddenly, Openai and Google were no longer the only players in the city, and their domination in the space of IA seemed more vulnerable than ever.

During his AMA Reddit, a user directly asked Altman if the success of Deepseek had changed Openai’s plans for his future models.

“It’s a very good model,” admitted Altman, referring to Deepseek technology. “We will produce better models, but we will maintain less lead than we have done in previous years.”

It was striking recognition. OPENAI, which has once played an undisputed advance in AI innovation, is now faced with reality that competitors are catching up – and fast.

The battle between openness and secret in AI

The debate on open source compared to closed AI has become one of the most controversial problems in the world of technology. Supporters of Open Source argue that transparency is essential for responsibility, security and global collaboration. They point out that the models of AI trained in secrecy can be vulnerable to biases, manipulation and ethical concerns that may not be controlled without public examination.

On the other hand, companies like Openai and Google maintain that maintaining AI property is necessary to prevent misuse and maintain economic incentives for a new innovation. OPENAI, in particular, has gone from its original opening opening mission to a for -lucrative model supported by Microsoft, citing the need to balance security with commercial success.

Meta, Mistral and Deepseek have challenged this point of view by releasing open models, saying that AI should be treated as a global public service rather than a business product.

Will Openai change a course?

Altman’s declaration suggests that internal divisions exist within Openai on its future direction. Although he seems open to revisiting the Openai approach, he admitted that it was not an absolute priority for the company at the moment.

This may be due to the fact that Openai is deeply tangled with Microsoft, which has invested billions in the company and integrated OPENAI models in its products like Azure and Copilot. If Openai was to move to an open source AI, it might risk undermining your business model and tightening your relationship with Microsoft.

Meanwhile, Deepseek and other open source challengers show no signs of slowdown. Analysts believe that if they continue to gain ground, Openai may have no choice but to adapt – or lose its leadership position in the AI ​​breed.

Meanwhile, Openai will receive more investment funds from the Japanese Sweet Bank.

Openai can have a new higher support. The Japanese investment company Softbank should invest $ 40 billion in the startup of artificial intelligence, reports CNBC, citing anonymous sources. The agreement would appreciate Openai at $ 260 billion and Edge Out The parent company of Linkedin, Microsoft, as the biggest investor in Openai. The cash infusion should provide additional funding for the Stargate project previously announced, an Openai, SoftBank and Oracle company which aims to build IA computer centers in the United States