Top executives at OpenAI (including CEO Sam Altman) reportedly notified staff about the company’s new strategy at a recent all-hands meeting: “focus on business and productivity to the exclusion of all else.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, OpenAI’s head of applications, Fidji Simo, told the group that they “cannot miss this moment because we are distracted by side quests,” adding that “we really have to nail productivity in general, and particularly productivity on the business front.”
To add some context, OpenAI launched GPT-5.4 earlier this month, with the release focusing on coding and agentic applications. It was the first general-purpose model from OpenAI designed to work natively across multiple applications within a machine. As Gizmondo noted, this brought users closer to the functionality of OpenClaw, whose creator, Peter Steinberger, OpenAI hired back in February.
OpenAI executives also noted during the meeting that the recent success of Anthropic’s Claude should be seen as a “wake-up call” for the company.
But as OpenAI pivots to head off the success of a rival, it’s worth pointing out that AI companies aren’t profitable, and the numbers these companies report look awfully shady.
OpenAI has also faced increased scrutiny in Canada, with the tech giant recently being sued by the family of a Tumbler Ridge shooting victim. The company has promised to add more security features in response to the shooting.
Header image credit: Shutterstock
Source: Gizmodo
