"We want to build a brain for the world", says Sam Altman as OpenAI stays nonprofit, announces restructuring

OpenAI

OpenAI is overhauling its corporate structure as it aims to build and deploy artificial general intelligence (AGI) for the benefit of all humanity. In an open letter to employees, CEO Sam Altman announced that the company’s for-profit arm will convert into a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC), aligning OpenAI structurally with peers like Anthropic and xAI while preserving its mission-driven ethos.

“We want to build a brain for the world and make it super easy for people to use for whatever they want,” Altman said, emphasizing the group’s commitment to “democratic AI”—powerful, widely accessible, and safely aligned with human interests.

The move replaces OpenAI’s intricate capped-profit model with a traditional equity structure. It comes amid escalating demand for its tools—such as ChatGPT—which, despite their popularity, are constrained by resource limitations. “We currently cannot supply nearly as much AI as the world wants,” Altman noted, adding that demand will only grow “as the systems become more capable.”

Under the new structure, the nonprofit OpenAI Inc. will retain full control over the for-profit PBC, and become one of its major shareholders. Independent financial advisors will help determine the stake, which will fund initiatives aimed at equitable AI distribution. The nonprofit’s new commission will also explore ways AI can drive impact across health, education, science, and public services.

The restructuring is partly in response to feedback from civic leaders and regulatory discussions. “We want our nonprofit to be the largest and most effective nonprofit in history that will be focused on using AI to enable the highest-leverage outcomes for people,” Altman said.

Ultimately, OpenAI sees this evolution as critical to its founding vision. “Creating AGI is our brick in the path of human progress,” Altman wrote. “We can’t wait to see what bricks you will add next.”