Sources: 
In her new book,
Empire of AI: Inside the reckless race for total domination, technology journalist Karen Hao reveals the hidden costs behind OpenAI’s meteoric rise. Hao, who spent three days embedded at OpenAI in 2019, describes a company sharply contrasting with its public image as a transparent non-profit dedicated to humanity’s benefit.
OpenAI has become one of the largest companies globally, but Hao argues this success has come at a
severe cost to the labor force and the environment. She suggests that OpenAI operates less like a traditional company and more like an empire, with expansive ambitions and significant consequences.
"What she saw," Hao tells Michael Safi, "was a company vastly at odds with its public image." The book exposes the complex realities behind the AI giant’s operations, including the human and ecological toll often overlooked in public narratives.
Hao’s investigation challenges the notion of OpenAI as a purely altruistic entity, instead framing it within a broader context of power and domination reminiscent of historical empires. This perspective invites readers to reconsider the ethical and societal implications of AI development at scale.
Key quote: "It makes sense to think of OpenAI not as a company, but more akin to empires of old."
Hao’s work contributes to ongoing debates about transparency, labor rights, and environmental responsibility in the tech industry, highlighting the urgent need for scrutiny as AI technologies continue to expand their influence.
Sources: Technology journalist Karen Hao exposes OpenAI's hidden costs in her new book, Empire of AI, revealing the company’s vast success masks severe impacts on labor and the environment, challenging its public image as a transparent non-profit dedicated to humanity’s benefit.
