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[ARTICLE · art-65272] src=simonwillison.net ↗ pub= topic=large-language-models verified=true sentiment=↓ negative

Quoting Sam Altman

In a 2022 email to OpenAI's board, CEO Sam Altman proposed releasing a GPT-3-level language model that runs on consumer hardware to discourage competitors and hinder funding for rival efforts. The email, exposed in the Musk v. Altman lawsuit, reveals strategic thinking about open-source AI releases.

read1 min views1 publishedJul 20, 2026

We have been having extensive discussions around open source strategy. We will discuss it more at our next board meeting, but one thing we’d like to do soon is to create a language model with the approximate capability of GPT-3 that can run locally on consumer hardware and release that. We’d like to do it soon, before Stability or someone else does. In general, we think this helps discourage others from releasing similarly-powerful models, and makes it harder for new efforts to get funded.

— [Sam Altman](https://twitter.com/techemails/status/2078854346683678927), Email to OpenAI's board, October 1, 2022 - exposed in Musk v. Altman (2026)

Tags: [ai-ethics](https://simonwillison.net/tags/ai-ethics), [sam-altman](https://simonwillison.net/tags/sam-altman), [generative-ai](https://simonwillison.net/tags/generative-ai), [openai](https://simonwillison.net/tags/openai), [ai](https://simonwillison.net/tags/ai), [llms](https://simonwillison.net/tags/llms)
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