Sam Altman on Sora, Energy, and Building an AI Empire

Sam Altman has led OpenAI from its founding as a research nonprofit in 2015 to becoming the most valuable startup in the world ten years later.

In this episode, a16z Cofounder Ben Horowitz and General Partner Erik Torenberg sit down with Sam to discuss the core thesis behind OpenAI’s disparate bets, why they released Sora, how they use models internally, the best AI evals, and where we’re going from here.

Timecodes:
0:00 Introduction
0:41 OpenAI’s Vision and Infrastructure
2:37 Business Model and Vertical Integration
5:08 AGI, Sora, and Societal Co-evolution
8:01 The Future of AI Interfaces
9:12 AI Scientists and Scientific Progress
11:44 Reflections on Progress and Model Capabilities
16:17 Sam's Experience as CEO & Leadership Lessons
17:34 Strategic Partnerships and Scaling Infrastructure
25:05 Regulation, Safety, and Societal Impact
28:33 Copyright, Open Source, and Content Creation
33:15 Energy, Policy, and AI’s Resource Needs
37:07 Monetization and User Behavior
43:03 The Talent War and Personal Reflections
45:20 Advice for Founders

Resources:
Follow Sam on X: https://x.com/sama
Follow OpenAI on X: https://x.com/openai
Learn more about OpenAI: https://openai.com/
Try Sora: https://sora.com/
Follow Ben on X: https://x.com/bhorowitz

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Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details, please see a16z.com/disclosures.