Unsealed 2022 Altman Email: OpenAI Planned a Locally-Runnable GPT-3-Class Model Specifically to Starve Competitors of Funding

Simon Willison (primary: Musk v. Altman unsealed exhibits)·high signal

Simon Willison surfaced an October 1, 2022 email from Sam Altman to OpenAI's board, exposed in Musk v. Altman discovery, proposing OpenAI create a GPT-3-capability model for local consumer hardware and 'release it soon, before others do.' The stated motive was competitive rather than ideological: to discourage rivals from releasing similarly powerful models and make funding difficult for competing ventures. It reframes four years of open-weight strategy debate — the plan on the table was open-sourcing as moat destruction, and the case goes to an Oakland jury on fraud claims.