Empire of AI’s Karen Hao Exposes OpenAI’s $90B AGI Race and Its Hidden Costs
Karen Hao, author of Empire of AI, tells TechCrunch's Equity how OpenAI morphed from a nonprofit idealist project into a $90B AGI-chasing juggernaut. She details internal 'clan' fights, the hidden human and environmental costs of massive data-labeling, and how the 'China competition' narrative fuels Silicon Valley's rush. Hao warns investors and founders that this extractive model carries real risks — and urges building alternatives beyond the relentless pursuit of AGI.
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- TechCrunch — Karen Hao Warns OpenAI Is an ‘AGI Empire’ Prioritizing Speed Over Safety