Sam Altman's "Masculine Corporate Energy" Remarks Echo Zuckerberg

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently commented to employees on "masculine corporate energy," appearing to reference earlier remarks made by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Altman's message, which also criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement, included a statement that OpenAI aims:

"to not get blown around by changing fashions."

He further added:

"We didn't start talking about masculine corporate energy when that was popular."

This statement followed Zuckerberg's discussion on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast last year. During the podcast, Zuckerberg advocated for a return to masculinity in corporate culture, stating:

"The masculine energy, I think, is good."

He suggested that while corporate culture had shifted away from masculine energy for valid reasons, the shift had gone too far. Zuckerberg emphasized the importance of a corporate culture that:

"celebrates the aggression" of business, while also acknowledging efforts to create welcoming environments for everyone.

Altman's memo also noted that OpenAI did not:

"become super woke when that was popular."

Meta did not provide a comment regarding Altman's statement.

Context of AI Rivalry

The interaction between the two CEOs occurs amid an ongoing rivalry within the artificial intelligence (AI) sector. This competition includes a significant talent war for leading AI researchers and engineers.

Zuckerberg has reportedly offered substantial compensation packages, including large signing bonuses, to attract OpenAI employees. While Altman previously indicated that most key personnel had not accepted these offers, Meta has successfully recruited some notable talent from OpenAI. This includes ChatGPT co-creator Shengjia Zhao and three researchers involved in establishing OpenAI's Zurich office.