SoftBank Group has invested $1.5 billion in OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company that developed ChatGPT. The tender offer allows OpenAI employees to cash out up to $1.5 billion worth of shares
The offer will allow OpenAI employees to redeem restricted stock units at a rate of $210 per share, enabling them and their stakeholders to access liquidity during the limited initial public offering (IPO) opportunities in the technology sector.
Masayoshi Son, the billionaire founder, and CEO of SoftBank, is purportedly the driving force behind the agreement, as he has consistently expressed a desire to acquire a more substantial stake in the AI company, according to an individual with knowledge of the situation who spoke with CNBC.
The funding bolsters OpenAI’s financial resources to facilitate the advancement of its AI development and provides liquidity to its stakeholders in the face of limited IPO opportunities.
SoftBank increases its investments in artificial intelligence (AI)
SoftBank’s investment is a component of its overarching strategy to broaden its artificial intelligence portfolio. It participated in a $6.6 billion funding round for OpenAI in October.
The tender offer is consistent with the Japanese conglomerate’s strategy of investing in and supporting innovative technology companies.
In July, SoftBank invested in an additional AI company to retrofit various robotics devices and machinery with “general-purpose” brains.
Leakage of the OpenAI Sora text-to-video utility
Beta testers and artists who made allegations of exploitation during the development phase of OpenAI’s unreleased Sora text-to-video tool recently exposed it.
The group accused OpenAI of unpaid labor and a lack of recognition for their contributions, as they published access to the unreleased tool online.
The incident has reignited ongoing discussions regarding ethical practices in AI research and development, although OpenAI has since terminated access to the disclosed tool.
Dismissal of a copyright complaint
A copyright lawsuit against OpenAI, which was filed by news outlets for the alleged misuse of articles in the training of the firm’s popular ChatGPT tool, was dismissed by a United States federal magistrate on Nov. 7.
Although OpenAI was cleared for insufficient evidence of harm, the plaintiff’s attorneys have announced that they intend to refile the case with supplementary documentation that they believe will “certainly” address the court’s concerns.