Last night, while watching news related to Altman, I started to think a lot. The incident where someone threw a Molotov cocktail at his house at 3:45 a.m. is what I’m referring to. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but there are interesting stories behind the background of this event.

Altman officially explained his beliefs in detail for the first time, and the core is this: AI should not be controlled by a small number of research labs. He emphasized that AI must be democratized and empowered for everyone. It sounds good in theory, but whether reality moves in that direction is another matter.

An interesting part is that Altman compared the AGI issue to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. The desire to acquire AGI drives people into madness. So, he said, the only solution is to share technology widely and maintain democratic control. Honestly, it’s an idealistic vision, but given the structure where technology tends to concentrate, how realistic this is remains questionable.

Altman also admitted his past mistakes. He failed to properly handle conflicts within OpenAI, especially being evasive in disputes with Elon Musk. The same goes for conflicts with the board. But he claimed that he maintained the company’s mission throughout that process. Whether this is self-justification or genuine reflection is up to each person to judge.

The reason he even released family photos is also interesting. After the Molotov cocktail incident, Altman broke the privacy he usually strictly maintained. He said he realized the power of words, and it seems he was aware that previous sensational articles might have incited extremists.

Ultimately, the core message is this: fears about the AI era are natural, safety is the top priority, and technology should not be concentrated. Also, democratic procedures should take precedence over corporate interests. If, as Altman said, we are experiencing the greatest social transformation in history, there’s no need to say how important these discussions are. It’s just a matter of how to bridge the gap between words and reality.