By Frédéric Fréry
Publication Date: 2026-04-21 10:47:00
OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, is preparing to launch its initial public offering (IPO) this year. This financial maneuver would represent a decisive shift for a project originally conceived for the “common good” towards a market-oriented logic. Founded in 2015, OpenAI began amid growing concerns about artificial intelligence (AI). The tech company founded by Sam Altman and Elon Musk has adopted a nonprofit structure and has made no secret of its goal to develop AI that “benefits humanity” and prevent it from remaining in the hands of a few dominant players.
This ambition distinguished it from tech giants like Google, Microsoft, Meta and Amazon, which were based on proprietary models and rent-seeking effects.
In contrast, OpenAI sought to promote general public interest by emphasizing open research and knowledge sharing. However, this orientation – symbolized by its name – quickly collided with a structural constraint: the astronomical costs…
