OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella spoke on Monday about the future of their collaboration. This comes as both parties negotiate a revision of Microsoft’s investment terms and future stake in the AI startup.
Altman also provided an update on his conversations with President Donald Trump about artificial intelligence. He praised Trump for understanding the geopolitical and economic importance of AI technology. In January, Trump announced the Stargate project, a private investment operation of up to $500 billion for AI infrastructure, with funding from SoftBank, OpenAI, and Oracle.
The AI CEO acknowledged that tensions exist within the partnership. “Obviously in any deep partnership, there are points of tension and we certainly have those,” Altman said on the New York Times podcast. “But on the whole, it’s been like really wonderfully good for both companies.”
Tense negotiations
According to the Financial Times, Microsoft is considering halting talks on their multi-billion dollar alliance if no agreement is reached on key issues. One of the main points of contention is the size of Microsoft’s future stake in OpenAI. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that both parties are reviewing the terms of Microsoft’s investment, including the stake Microsoft will receive in the startup.
OpenAI requires Microsoft’s approval to transition from a nonprofit structure to a commercial entity. This transition must be completed by the end of the year, otherwise OpenAI risks losing billions in investments from other parties. Microsoft must approve the transition to enable OpenAI’s restructuring.