Anthropic and OpenAI: A Rivalry Born from Internal Tensions

Anthropic, a company founded by former OpenAI employees, positions itself as an ethical alternative to its former parent company, criticizing the latter for its approach, which it compares to that of the tobacco industry. This analogy underscores the deep divergences that led to the creation of Anthropic.

A Separation Marked by Personal Tensions

In a detailed report, Keach Hagey, biographer of Sam Altman, explores the history of the split between OpenAI and Anthropic. The official narrative indicates that OpenAI did not take safety seriously enough for the team that would go on to found Anthropic. Numerous pieces of evidence support this version of events. However, the narrative also reveals that the rift was deeper than mere ideology: it involved personal grievances, power struggles, and a constant feeling of being overlooked, particularly in the relationship between Greg Brockman and Dario Amodei.

The initial conflicts included a debate over the possibility of selling AGI to governments or nuclear powers on the UN Security Council. Amodei found this idea completely unacceptable, while Brockman did not dismiss it. The dispute then escalated around control of language model projects. Amodei, a key figure behind GPT-2 and GPT-3, reportedly tried to minimize Brockman's influence on this work. At the same time, according to Hagey, he regularly felt sidelined, whether in terms of visibility, recognition, or access to important meetings, such as one with Barack Obama.

Internal Conflicts and the Birth of Anthropic

By the end of 2020, Dario and Daniela Amodei left the company along with several other OpenAI employees to found Anthropic. This departure marked the end of a series of internal crises and philosophical disagreements. The philosophical differences between Dario Amodei and Greg Brockman were based on "safety and caution" versus "growth and aggressive development." Disagreements transformed into a crisis of leadership and trust, with conflicts over power, responsibilities, and recognition. Personal grievances and status issues deepened the fracture, making the internal conflict irreparable.

A Rivalry Shaping the AI Industry

Today, the rivalry between OpenAI and Anthropic manifests in the race for talent, capital, and customers. But it is primarily marked by opposing visions on the development and commercialization of AGI. Anthropic presents itself as a "healthier alternative," criticizing OpenAI's methods, particularly after the latter secured a contract with the Pentagon, which Anthropic had declined. Dario Amodei expressed his dissatisfaction with these decisions, labeling some of OpenAI's actions as "deceptive" and writing that these events revealed "a pattern of behavior I have often observed in Sam Altman."

Amodei also described Brockman's $25 million donation to a pro-Trump Super PAC as "evil," even though his own company also had ties to the Trump administration. Even during Altman's brief withdrawal as CEO, internal accusations were leveled against him, accusing him of being manipulative and dishonest. However, after his return, an internal investigation cleared him of these accusations.

A Lasting Impact on the Future of AI

The rivalry between these two AI giants continues to shape the sector, raising crucial questions about safety and ethics. The choices made by OpenAI and Anthropic will influence not only their respective futures but also that of the artificial intelligence industry as a whole.