Public interest in OpenAI soars following Sam Altman’s return. Searches for ‘OpenAI stock’ skyrocket 1,200% 

The OpenAI drama and power struggle surrounding the ousting of Sam Altman as OpenAI CEO have finally come to an end. The news of Altman’s firing quickly sent shockwaves through the tech world, coming just two months after the startup was reportedly in talks with investors about a potential share sale that would value the company between $80 billion to $90 billion.

Altman’s unexpected return to lead OpenAI was met with excitement and anticipation. Many saw Altman’s leadership as a return to OpenAI’s core values of transparency, safety, and collaboration.

This renewed public interest in the company is reflected in the significant increase in traffic to OpenAI’s website and social media channels, with searches for “OpenAI” and “Sam Altman” spiked to record highs. In addition, Google searches for ‘OpenAI stock’ also increased by 1,200% compared to the last 90 days, according to a recent study conducted by business advisory firm Venture Smarter.

The study found that a staggering 1,200% surge in global searches for ‘OpenAI stock’ following the turmoil and employee threats to resign after Altman’s initial removal. The data, based on Google searches, showed a peak on November 18, coinciding with the public announcement of Altman’s firing, and another spike of 354% on November 20, following reports of employee revolt.

Despite the surge in interest, it’s important to note that OpenAI stock is not publicly traded, and only accredited investors can make purchases. Altman’s subsequent move to Microsoft, one of OpenAI’s major investors, to lead their new AI team, attracted attention as well. This shift was accompanied by a rise in searches for ‘Buy Microsoft stock’ and ‘MSFT,’ the tech giant’s stock code, increasing by 371% and 526%, respectively.

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT and DALL-E, has been experiencing remarkable traffic, with over 1.7 billion monthly visits to its website. Altman’s reinstatement has not only impacted OpenAI but has also sent ripples through the broader AI community, instilling renewed confidence in the potential of AI to address global challenges.

Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson at Venture Smarter said: “Microsoft’s stock rose to an all-time high, owing to the information and interest around the company’s decision to hire Sam Altman. We now know the CEO has been re-hired by OpenAI, so it’s unclear where this leaves his appointment at Microsoft. And from the looks of things, there is a great deal of interest in OpenAI being publicly traded.”

The spokesperson added, “It will be interesting to see if the close relationship between the two companies will help or hinder each other’s value in the future as the dangers of AI become an increasing area of concern. Microsoft is the clear winner, with its stock value at a record high after capturing some of OpenAI’s workers.”.

OpenAI was founded in 2015 by Elon Musk and Sam Altman as a non-profit research institution with a primary mission to ensure AI benefits humanity. Throughout its journey, OpenAI has built a series of remarkable AI systems, among them the influential GPT-3 language model and the innovative DALL-E 2 image generation model. The company has received at least $13 billion in investment from Microsoft and is reportedly valued at $86 billion.

As OpenAI navigates its path with Altman at the helm, there’s keen anticipation among the public to witness how the company will play a role in pushing forward AI and influencing the trajectory of future technology.