Sam Altman’s Trust Issues at OpenAI

Sam Altman’s Trust Issues at OpenAI

Author: The New Yorker April 13, 2026 Duration: 49:10
At the end of February, OpenAI’s C.E.O., Sam Altman, made headlines by swiftly cutting a deal with the Pentagon for his company to replace Anthropic, which had balked at the Trump Administration’s bid to use its A.I. technology to power autonomous weapons and aid in mass surveillance. Days earlier, Altman had publicly supported Anthropic’s position in the dispute. Altman’s rise to power and his founding of OpenAI were predicated on placing safety above other concerns in developing artificial general intelligence. Why did he change his stance on such a fundamental issue? The New Yorker writers Ronan Farrow and Andrew Marantz spoke with Altman multiple times and interviewed more than a hundred people for their investigation into the leader of one of the most powerful companies in the world, comparing Altman to J. Robert Oppenheimer. Although there is no smoking gun in Altman’s hand, the writers find that persistent allegations about his conduct underscore the danger of entrusting him to wield such vast power over the future.   Further reading: "Sam Altman May Control Our Future—Can He Be Trusted?,” by Ronan Farrow and Andrew Marantz “The Dangerous Paradox of A.I. Abundance,” by John Cassidy “The A.I. Bubble Is Coming for Your Browser,” by Kyle Chayka   The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.  Tune in to The Political Scene wherever you get your podcasts.

Each week, The Political Scene | The New Yorker brings the magazine’s signature depth and clarity directly to your ears. This isn’t just a recap of headlines; it’s a sustained conversation with the people who spend their days investigating the forces shaping our world. You’ll hear from the publication’s own writers and editors, whose reporting and analysis provide essential context for understanding today’s complex political landscape. The rhythm of the week structures these discussions: Mondays feature editor David Remnick in thoughtful conversations and narratives about unfolding events. Then, on Wednesdays, senior editor Tyler Foggatt selects one consequential story and explores it thoroughly through interviews with both New Yorker staff and leading outside voices. Fridays round out the week with contributions from the magazine’s staff writers, offering their distinct perspectives. Tuning into this podcast means getting behind the scenes of the journalism itself, listening as sharp minds dissect power, policy, and the human stories at the heart of it all. It’s for anyone who wants to move beyond the noise and find a more nuanced, informed take on American politics and global affairs.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

The Political Scene | The New Yorker
Podcast Episodes
How Zohran Mamdani Won, and What Comes Next [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:18
The New Yorker staff writer Eric Lach joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York City mayoral race, and what his time in office might look like. They talk about some of his early appointments…
What Resistance Means to Governor J. B. Pritzker [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:28
Few Democratic officials have been more outspoken in opposition to the Trump Administration than J. B. Pritzker, the governor of Illinois. He seems almost to relish antagonizing Trump, who has suggested Pritzker should b…
The Washington Roundtable Answers Your Questions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:15
The Washington Roundtable kicks off the 2026 election season by answering questions from listeners about the forces most likely to shape next year’s midterm elections. They discuss the ascendancy of Zohran Mamdani in New…
Have the Democrats Figured Out How to Win Again? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:01
The New Yorker staff writer Benjamin Wallace-Wells joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss Democrats’ sweeping victories in the first major elections of Donald Trump’s second term. They talk about what the results—from Zohran Mam…
From In the Dark: “Blood Relatives,” an investigative series [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:30
On August 7, 1985, five family members were shot dead in their English country manor, Whitehouse Farm. It looked like an open-and-shut case. But the New Yorker staff writer Heidi Blake finds that almost nothing about thi…
How Bad Is It?: Why an Antifascism Scholar Fled the Country [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:59
The New Yorker staff writer Andrew Marantz joins Tyler Foggatt for the latest installment of “How Bad Is It?,” a regular checkup on the health of American democracy. Their guests are the Rutgers historians Mark Bray and…
Zadie Smith on Politics, Turning Fifty, and Mind Control [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:48
Since Zadie Smith published her début novel, “White Teeth,” twenty-five years ago, she has been a bold and original voice in literature. But those who aren’t familiar with Smith’s work outside of fiction are missing out.…
How the Trump Administration Made Higher Education a Target [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:52
The swiftness and severity with which the Trump Administration has tried to impose its will on higher education came as a shock to many, not least university presidents and faculties from Harvard to U.C.L.A. But for cons…
The Ceasefire and the Business of Trump’s Diplomacy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:19
The Washington Roundtable examines the fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire and the uncertain road ahead, asking to what degree the Trump family’s business interests in the Middle East are shaping American foreign policy. The…