Public Benefit Corporation (PBC)

A multidisciplinary coalition warns that OpenAI’s proposed shift to a Delaware public benefit corporation (PBC) risks undermining critical safeguards for responsible AGI governance. Critics argue the change weakens the original nonprofit’s authority by introducing profit-sharing incentives, diluting accountability mechanisms, and increasing commercial influence over AGI development. While OpenAI defends the restructuring as necessary for competitiveness, opponents emphasize that the organization’s founding commitment to prioritize societal benefit over shareholder returns must remain legally enforced. The debate centers on maintaining structural independence and robust oversight amid AGI’s unprecedented global impact potential.