This week, as Ronan Farrow’s expose on Sam Altman was published, I want to sensitize you to the fact that AI companies are run by humans. And this means that what we buy and how it works is very dependent on leadership, culture, values, ethics, and the personal motivations of these young, ambitious executives.

Obviously this is nothing new, but in this case OpenAI and Anthropic are by far the fastest growing businesses ever created on planet earth. So their ability to steer, direct, and prioritize their investments makes a huge difference in how they meet the needs we have in our companies.

I have learned over the years that great, long-lasting tech companies are among the most tumultuous businesses to lead. Not only are the personal economic payoffs huge (I live in a community with lots of Anthropic millionaires) but they are brutally competitive and the cost of a missed opportunity can sometimes be fatal.

In this case, I admire all the people in this space but as the AI vendors play larger roles in our lives and careers, we have to think much harder about their leadership and culture. As you’ll hear, many others (analysts, stock market, politicians) are also working on this, and I think we’re likely to see some of the most interesting business “drama” play out in the coming years.

As a consumer and buyer of AI, I encourage you to investigate the leadership, culture, and motivations of the vendors you do business with – it really matters.

Additional Information

New Yorker Expose on Sam Altman

Interview with Ronan Farrow, author

Irresistible: The Leadership Culture that Works

The Value of Values When Organizations Lose Trust

Get Galileo: All Our Research and Leadership Academy In AI

The Human, Leadership, and Culture Issues Behind Big AI Companies

Josh Bersin