Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s OpenAI by Karen Hao
Published in May 2025
Recently, I’ve been diving into Karen Hao’s book, Empire of AI. It’s a great read, especially for those of us in higher education. These days, AI dominates our conversations—whether we’re on campus or just hanging out. We’re all concerned about how AI affects student learning, academic honesty, and even course design.
Most of our talks focus on generative AI. But what if we need to broaden our discussions? Hao moves beyond just OpenAI’s story and digs into the bigger picture. She highlights how AI impacts workers globally, the environment, and even our future job market. Generative AI, for instance, isn’t as clean or ethical as we might wish.
There’s also a belief among many in AI that generative AI is just a step towards something bigger: artificial general intelligence (AGI). Researchers at OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google share this view. They’re confident that AGI is closer than we think—perhaps only a few years away.
It’s interesting to remember that OpenAI started as a nonprofit aimed at tackling the risks of AGI. However, under the leadership of Sam Altman, it transformed into a for-profit giant now valued at over $850 billion.
Hao does a fantastic job of weaving in corporate drama, from Altman’s firing and quick rehiring to the rise of Anthropic, created by former OpenAI staff. These narratives bring to light a critical question: how prepared are we for the rapid development of AGI, a technological leap that feels both thrilling and daunting?
AGI, which means machines might perform tasks at human-level capabilities, often feels like science fiction. Characters like Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation are fun to imagine, but the thought of such technology affecting our jobs is becoming more realistic. What if AGI were to arrive within the next decade?
This brings up crucial questions for universities. How will AGI change the work landscape? Are we ready for the shifts happening in other industries? Early signs point to a change in demand for knowledge workers, and universities might not be immune.
If experts believe AGI is on the horizon, we need to explore how to prepare for this shift. It might be time to rethink our roles and responsibilities within higher education.
So, what are you reading these days?
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