OpenAI wants to remove a clause about AGI from its Microsoft contract to encourage additional investments, report says

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman thinks artificial general intelligence, or AGI, will be achieved “sooner than most people in the world think.”

OpenAI is reportedly considering removing a clause from its contract with Microsoft in a move that could help it attract further investment from the tech giant.

Citing people with knowledge of the discussions, the Financial Times reported Friday that the ChatGPT maker was weighing whether to eliminate a clause that closes off Microsoft’s access to its most advanced AI models when the startup achieves artificial general intelligence, or AGI.

OpenAI’s website defines AGI as “a highly autonomous system that outperforms humans at most economically valuable work,” adding that it’s “explicitly carved out of all commercial and IP licensing agreements.”

The clause is meant to prevent AGI from being misused for commercial purposes. The Financial Times noted that removing it could encourage Microsoft to keep cash flowing to the AI company. Microsoft has invested at least $13 billion in OpenAI.

OpenAI’s website says its nonprofit board will both decide when AGI is achieved and take ownership of the technology.

The report said that OpenAI’s board was still discussing options and no decision had been made.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman remains bullish that the company will achieve AGI in the near future.

“My guess is we will hit AGI sooner than most people in the world think and it will matter much less,” he said at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit this week.

Altman also touched on the company’s financial needs.

“When we started, we had no idea we were going to be a product company or that the capital we needed would turn out to be so huge,” he said. “If we knew those things, we would have picked a different structure.”

Reuters reported in September, citing sources familiar with the matter, that OpenAI was working on plans to restructure to a for-profit benefit corporation that would no longer be controlled by its nonprofit board and that would give Altman equity in the business for the first time.

OpenAI in October said it had closed a $6.6 billion funding round valuing the company at $157 billion.

OpenAI and Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests for comment.