Ask HN: What will OpenAI employees do now who have signed notdividedorg petition
I want to ask HN (and also the OpenAI employees) now that finally some days have taken place about the confusing aspects of the deals.
Now that we are finally getting mass confirmation about how OpenAI in fact, has signed a deal which allows DoD to be allowed having autonomous killing machines and people are boycotting OpenAI and all of this has reached the mainstream news.
Yes, even after Sam Altman's recent tweet which says that its gonna add more terms, that is debunked because those terms are just gonna say what OpenAI prefers DoD just in more stronger terms to do but in no ways are still enforcable. Right now, the way it is with current Deal. DoD could create autonomous killing weapons and mass surveillance with Directives issued by Pete Hegseth/Current Administration and OpenAI by the terms is allowed to agree to it.
To all the OpenAI employees who have signed notdivided.org petition (I am seeing 98 signatories), what are you guys gonna do?
> They're trying to divide each company with fear that the other will give in. That strategy only works if none of us know where the others stand. This letter serves to create shared understanding and solidarity in the face of this pressure from the Department of War.
Are you guys gonna stand for what you think is right. This question was asked by people when the OpenAI deal was announced but the optics at the time weren't clear. But now that some time has been given and people are absolutely clear that the deal that OpenAI have signed absolutely allows the use of creating of autonomous weapons
I don't think that OpenAI employees are gonna have a struggle of Money as some people try to point out. I mean, any AI company would be lucky to have you guys (imo) and they should be able to fairly match even OpenAI comp.
Someone from what I read (on HN), compared it to the fact that anyone who stays after 1 month from this happening will show the morals of the given situation.
I remember the fact that OpenAI used to be actually non profit and how employees left OpenAI because the non-profit actually fired Sam Altman.
I can't help but wonder if the board was right. I think the answer's yes. But my question is, OpenAI employees do have massive powers. I am sure that a lot of the people there would be better off sleeping that their work isn't contributing to building torment nexus.
I wish to propose that if OpenAI employees band together again, they can be able to do the same thing that they did previously, but now to revert that decision.
That is if I were an openAI employee, I gave a thought and here are all the things that I find are troubling which can be reverted:
1. Shut down the deal that they have with DoD period.
2. Actually shift from ClosedAI to OpenAI (Turn to a non profit structure as intentioned) and fire sam altman.
3. If something could be done about ramflation. I have seen projects being cancelled and Hosting providers shutting down or increasing prices because of 5x price increases, all because OpenAI tried to commit 20% of the world's entire Ram production. It's always a bit of a laugh when employees confuse themselves with shareholders, and their employer for a democracy. You would be surprised at what one will compromise on when your yearly comp has two commas in it… But at least they signed off on a strongly worded letter … I've seen this a lot. Tech bros start a company that ultimately will want to be purchased by or licensed to a government but they do not screen out employees that would be against this. Almost all tech out of silicon valley is started with the intent of being part of the military industrial complex. That's where most of the money is. Silicon Valley itself was started from WWII money. [1] When it comes time to complete a deal the employees rise up because the government or military wants to use their product. [1] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbKxUYl3WSE [video][44m] Because of 4000 word HN limit. I had written some more words, so I am going to be writing that as a comment. I hope the people don't mind. Please read this in continuation "Although this idea might be naive but I haven't seen discussions about such things atleast on the public face on the internet but this idea did work the last time (for better or for worse) the public has decided to show agency and decide not to use OpenAI period. And for a growth company like OpenAI, revenue loss is essentially the nail in its coffin. So people are realizing this and taking agency within this and their decisions matter. But also OpenAI employees decision matters even more so. A 100 people not using OpenAI might not impact them but A 100 employees leaving OpenAI surely would. You guys have a factor of more magnitudes worth of say in all of this and have more power about all this situation. And as the most famous quote that everyone grew up with, with great power comes great responsibility. I hope that with this in mind, I hope that OpenAI employees can talk more about what's going on in their heads right now because we really need to have such a discussion and the best time is now. Have a nice day to everyone reading this."