OpenAI just bought the TBPN talk show because the normal PR playbook "doesn't apply" to it

Summary

• OpenAI has purchased talk show TBPN to better steer the public conversation about AI.
• The hosts will keep full editorial freedom but will help OpenAI with communications and strategy.
• The purchase aligns with OpenAI's shift in strategy amid major product pivots.

Back when LLMs were new, OpenAI had the lion's share of the popularity. However, as rivals such as Google and Anthropic have gained a strong foothold, it seems the company is struggling to keep up. The minds at OpenAI have figured out why that's the case: the tech giant isn't a typical company but a huge player in one of the biggest tech shifts in years.

As such, the OpenAI believes that unconventional circumstances demand unconventional solutions. The company has just purchased the talk show TBPN in an effort to better communicate with the world.

OpenAI buys up TBPN to better spread the word

Although it's not a complete takeover by any means

As reported by Yahoo News, Fidji Simo, chief of applications at OpenAI, wrote a note to company staff about the acquisition. On the surface, an AI company buying a talk show sounds odd, but Simo believes OpenAI is already in a strange position. As Simo notes in the note:

"As I’ve been thinking about the future of how we communicate at OpenAI, one thing that’s become clear is that the standard communications playbook just doesn’t apply to us. We’re not a typical company. We’re driving a really big technological shift. And with the mission of bringing AGI to the world comes a responsibility to help create a space for a real, constructive conversation about the changes AI creates—with builders and people using the technology at the center."

As part of the deal, Jordi Hays and John Coogan, the hosts and founders of TBPN, will aid OpenAI with communication and marketing. They will also report back to strategy executive Chris Lehane about what's happening.

However, despite the buyout, Simo was quick to note that Hays and Coogan will still have full editorial freedom over the show, and will continue to run what they want and bring on the guests they want to see. Simo notes that this freedom is "foundational to their credibility," which OpenAI is "explicitly protecting as part of this agreement."

OpenAI's purchase may be part of the company's big shift in strategy

The company is trying out new things

Seeing OpenAI snap up a talk show may seem like an odd decision, but when you stand back and look at the bigger picture, it's not as out of left field as you may first believe. After all, this is a company that has begun to shift major gears in how it operates, including merging ChatGPT, Codex, and Atlas into a single "superapp." It also recently pulled the plug on Sora, which was pivoted to be the AI video equivalent of TikTok.

As such, there's a good chance that OpenAI's purchase of TBPN won't be the last thing the company buys, nor the strangest. OpenAI faces the challenge that it's the first tech company of its kind, so it needs to figure out how to stay afloat and adapt to a tech scene that's evolving seemingly monthly.