Stanford University
Ashoka RajendraLife Sciences · OpenAIFounder↗Both at OpenAI
Founder · Executive
Sam Altman
OpenAICo-founder and CEO
🇺🇸 AmericanBorn 1985
Altman is one of the central figures in the commercialization of generative AI. As OpenAI's co-chair and later CEO, he helped turn a nonprofit research lab into the company behind ChatGPT, bringing advanced AI into everyday work. His leadership has also put questions of AI governance, safety, infrastructure, and economic power at the center of public debate.[1]
Career & education
Current roleOpenAI2019-presentCo-founder and CEO
OpenAI2019-presentPreviouslyOpenAI2015-2019Co-founder and Co-chair
Y Combinator2014-2019President
OpenAI2015-2019Y Combinator2014-2019Loopt2005-2012
Co-founder and CEOEducation
Work and education history is primarily focused on AI-relevant roles and may not be comprehensive.
Selected contributions
GPT-4 Technical Report
With OpenAI, Joshua Achiam, Steven Adler, Sandhini Agarwal, Lama Ahmad, Ilge Akkaya, Florencia Leoni Aleman and others ·Reported GPT-4's capabilities, limitations and safety evaluations as a text-and-image input model.
References
- Sam Altman — US Senate testimony, May 2023judiciary.senate.gov
ChatGPT deployment, public use, AI safety, governance, economic impacts and infrastructure addressed in congressional testimony.
- Sam Altman — Planning for AGI and beyondopenai.com
Authored 2023 argument for iterative deployment, independent audits, training-run oversight and coordination; historical position, not a claim these safeguards were implemented.
- Sam Altman and Jakub Pachocki — Built to benefit everyone: our planopenai.com
June 8, 2026 coauthored plan to build an automated AI researcher while keeping people involved in steering and evaluation; described as a goal rather than an achieved capability.
Based on public sources. If accuracy is important, verify details using the links or references.
For corrections, updates, or requests to remove information, contact us.
Reviewed August 13, 2026 · Checked for accuracy and new information.
