The man’s name is Sam Altman. He’s the CEO of OpenAI — the company behind ChatGPT. And before this episode is over, you’re going to understand exactly why his name should mean something to you, even if it doesn’t right now.
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Referenced Works:
Hagey, Keach. The Optimist: Sam Altman, OpenAI, and the Race to Invent the Future (2025).
Hao, Karen. Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s OpenAI (2025).
UN Report on autonomous AI drone use, Libya, 2020.
Future of Life Institute AI Safety Report Card, 2025.
Time investigation: OpenAI lobbying against EU AI regulations, 2022–2023.
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