OpenAI has released five guiding principles that shape its approach to developing artificial general intelligence (AGI). The first principle, democratization, seeks to prevent concentration of power by ensuring AI decisions are made through democratic processes rather than solely by labs. Empowerment focuses on giving users autonomy to achieve personal and professional goals, while promoting broad, safe access to AI tools. Universal prosperity envisions a future where easy‑to‑use, high‑compute AI systems enable widespread quality‑of‑life improvements and new scientific discoveries, supported by new economic models and expanded infrastructure. Resilience emphasizes collaboration with companies, governments, and society to address emerging risks such as pathogen creation and cybersecurity threats, using iterative deployment and technical alignment. Adaptability acknowledges the unpredictable nature of AI progress, committing to transparent updates of operating principles as new evidence emerges. Together, these principles outline a framework intended to maximize AGI’s benefits while minimizing harms, positioning OpenAI as a proponent of decentralized, safe, and inclusive AI development.
Our principles
OpenAI publishes five guiding principles for AGI development, emphasizing democratization, empowerment, universal prosperity, resilience, and adaptability. The principles aim to keep power decentralized, expand access, and ensure safety while fostering broad societal benefit. Sam Altman presents these as a roadmap to align AGI with humanity’s future.
Why it matters
These principles signal OpenAI’s strategic focus on broad access and safety, influencing industry standards for responsible AGI development. They highlight the need for collaboration and adaptive governance as AI capabilities expand.
Topic dossiers OpenAI