OpenAI’s Altman credits Airbnb’s Chesky for rapid growth
Chesky’s practical advice helped OpenAI navigate its expansion.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has credited Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky for playing a crucial role in OpenAI’s rapid expansion. Speaking at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Altman revealed that Chesky provided invaluable guidance during the company’s growth phase following the success of ChatGPT.
Chesky’s hands-on mentorship involved spending hours each week offering practical advice on tasks and strategic decisions. Altman shared how Chesky’s insights were instrumental in managing the swift user growth of ChatGPT, which became the fastest-growing consumer application in history, reaching over one million users in five days and 100 million monthly active users by January 2023.
Beyond operational advice, Chesky helped Altman with strategic decisions, including hiring and considering the political implications of generative AI technology.
Altman acknowledged that Chesky’s input was vital in shaping OpenAI’s approach and admitted he had not fully considered the political consequences before Chesky’s guidance.
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