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Karen Hao on the making of a $90B AI empire

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Manage episode 504201225 series 1403606
Content provided by TechCrunch, Rebecca Bellan, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, Max Zeff, and Theresa Loconsolo. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by TechCrunch, Rebecca Bellan, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, Max Zeff, and Theresa Loconsolo or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

Karen Hao, the bestselling author of "Empire of AI," has watched OpenAI go from a nonprofit “laughingstock” into a $90 billion powerhouse chasing artificial general intelligence at breakneck speeds. Hao, who first profiled the company back in 2020, says early visions of building AI “for humanity’s benefit” were quickly overtaken by a familiar Silicon Valley mindset: Move fast, break things, and let scale be the measure of success.

This week, Hao joined TechCrunch’s Equity podcast to unpack the direction the AI boom is going and who’s paying the price. Hao argues that, like historical empires, today’s AI giants rely on resource-hoarding and exploitative labor to amass political and economic power, and they’re doing so at the expense of the environment. For investors and founders, it’s a clear signal that AI’s current path carries real risks, and that there’s room to build a better model.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

  • How OpenAI's three internal "clans" warred to shape the company's trajectory

  • The hidden human costs of data labeling in developing countries

  • How the "China competition" narrative serves Silicon Valley's interests

  • Where founders might find different opportunities beyond the pursuit of AGI

Equity will be back Friday with our weekly news roundup, so stay tuned.

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.

Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  continue reading

980 episodes

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Karen Hao on the making of a $90B AI empire

Equity

300 subscribers

published

iconShare
 
Manage episode 504201225 series 1403606
Content provided by TechCrunch, Rebecca Bellan, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, Max Zeff, and Theresa Loconsolo. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by TechCrunch, Rebecca Bellan, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, Max Zeff, and Theresa Loconsolo or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

Karen Hao, the bestselling author of "Empire of AI," has watched OpenAI go from a nonprofit “laughingstock” into a $90 billion powerhouse chasing artificial general intelligence at breakneck speeds. Hao, who first profiled the company back in 2020, says early visions of building AI “for humanity’s benefit” were quickly overtaken by a familiar Silicon Valley mindset: Move fast, break things, and let scale be the measure of success.

This week, Hao joined TechCrunch’s Equity podcast to unpack the direction the AI boom is going and who’s paying the price. Hao argues that, like historical empires, today’s AI giants rely on resource-hoarding and exploitative labor to amass political and economic power, and they’re doing so at the expense of the environment. For investors and founders, it’s a clear signal that AI’s current path carries real risks, and that there’s room to build a better model.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

  • How OpenAI's three internal "clans" warred to shape the company's trajectory

  • The hidden human costs of data labeling in developing countries

  • How the "China competition" narrative serves Silicon Valley's interests

  • Where founders might find different opportunities beyond the pursuit of AGI

Equity will be back Friday with our weekly news roundup, so stay tuned.

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.

Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  continue reading

980 episodes

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