OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and her husband signed the Giving Pledge, promising to donate the majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes.
In a letter published Tuesday, Altman and her husband Oliver Mulherin attributed the decision to “the hard work, brilliance, generosity and dedication of many people who built the societal scaffolding that allowed us to get here.”
“There is nothing we can do except feel immense gratitude and commit to giving back, and doing what we can to build the scaffolding a little higher,” continued the letter, dated May 18. technology that helps create abundance for people so they can build an even higher scaffold.”
Altman and Mulherin join more than 240 signatories from 30 countries who have committed to the Giving Pledge, a nonprofit organization founded in 2010 by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates and Warren Buffett. Signatories pledge to donate at least half of their wealth to charities that tackle the most pressing issues.
The Giving Pledge is not a legally binding contract, and some critics argue that there is little oversight to ensure community members keep their pledges.
The letter comes after a tumultuous few months for Altman, who was fired and quickly reinstated as CEO of OpenAI amid fallout at the artificial intelligence company behind the popular ChatGPT tool.
ChatGPT’s popularity has grown rapidly over the past year and has led other technology companies to develop their own AI-based products.
Altman appeared before a Senate Judiciary Committee last spring in the wake of growing concerns about AI, telling lawmakers that the technology could “cause significant harm to the world.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
