OpenAI has removed the word “safely” from its mission statement, a change documented in its 2024 tax filing with the Internal Revenue Service. The deletion coincides with the company’s transformation from a nonprofit organization into a for-profit business.
The original mission statement from 2022 and 2023 read: “to build general-purpose artificial intelligence (AI) that safely benefits humanity, unconstrained by a need to generate financial return.” The 2024 version states simply: “to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.” The reference to being unconstrained by financial returns has also been removed.
Alnoor Ebrahim, a scholar of nonprofit accountability, describes the change as significant. OpenAI currently faces multiple lawsuits related to product safety, with plaintiffs alleging psychological manipulation, wrongful death, and negligence.
In October 2025, OpenAI restructured itself into two entities: the nonprofit OpenAI Foundation, which owns 26% of the new for-profit OpenAI Group, and the for-profit business itself. Microsoft holds a 27% stake following investments totaling $13.8 billion. The restructuring aimed to attract more investment, with the company now valued at over $500 billion.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta approved the arrangement, stating that “safety will be prioritized.” However, the new structure contains no explicit safety language in either entity’s mission statement. The OpenAI Foundation board maintains authority to appoint all members of the for-profit board and can require safety mitigation measures through a dedicated committee.
Critics argue that alternative models, such as requiring a larger nonprofit ownership stake, would better serve public interest.
Sources: The Conversation, Simon Willison
