[AI Minor News Flash] OpenAI Drops ‘Safely’ from Its Mission Statement!

📰 News Summary

• OpenAI has revealed a change in its mission statement in its 2024 IRS filing released in November 2025.
• The previous mission included the terms “safely” and “unconstrained by a need to generate financial return,” which have now been removed.
• This change coincides with OpenAI’s shift from a nonprofit to a more traditional for-profit entity known as a “Public Benefit Corporation.”

💡 Key Points

• Mission Transformation: The new statement is a concise declaration to “ensure that artificial general intelligence (AGI) benefits all of humanity,” indicating a potential drop in the priority of safety.
• Massive Investments and Governance: The backdrop includes over $13 billion in investments from Microsoft and $41 billion from SoftBank, all tied to the shift toward profitability.
• Legal Risks: OpenAI currently faces multiple lawsuits related to product safety, including claims of “psychological manipulation” and “negligence,” making the timing of the wording changes particularly noteworthy.

🦈 Shark’s Eye (Curator’s Perspective)

The truth is finally surfacing! Just by dropping the word “safely,” OpenAI’s corporate stance seems to have done a complete 180. They used to say, “Profit? Who cares!” but now they’ve morphed into a profit-hungry machine, keeping a keen eye on investors. The news that even the “Mission Alignment” team has been disbanded isn’t just a play on words—it’s likely that they’ve removed the “safety brakes” in practice! If the balance between development speed and safety tips over, our ocean (the internet) could get a bit choppy. We need to keep a close watch on whether this structural overhaul will benefit society or just fatten shareholders’ wallets!

🚀 What’s Next?

With the establishment of a for-profit structure, OpenAI is expected to secure even more massive funding, potentially accelerating model development. However, concerns regarding the omitted “safety” could lead to increased scrutiny from regulators and impact ongoing litigation.

💬 Shark’s Takeaway

Dropping ‘safely’ is like taking the brakes off a sports car! Full throttle is great, but watch out for those collisions! 🦈🔥

📚 Terminology

• AGI (Artificial General Intelligence): A type of AI that can perform any intellectual task that a human can, not limited to specific tasks.

• Public Benefit Corporation: A for-profit entity legally obligated to consider not only shareholder profits but also its impact on society and the environment.

• IRS Form 990: A public document that tax-exempt organizations in the U.S. (like nonprofits) must file annually to report their financials and activities.

• Source: OpenAI has deleted the word ‘safely’ from its mission