zlacker

Historically speaking, the pivot to capitalism occurs from financing arrangements. Financial obligations mandate attention, overriding charters or missions. Hospitals in America took on financing to replace decaying facilities and just like that turned towards for-profit healthcare. Universities as well. There is no escaping financial servitude because the organization never can earn enough to get out of its financial obligations and restructure itself to never take that path again. Once the change from non-profit to for-profit happens, it is never reversed.

OpenAI has one shot at fulfilling social mission and financing will ruin any hopes or dreams it has of taking the non-profit path. It needs to ignore pressure for exponential growth for the sake of competition or whatever strategists see as a threat or opportunity, because adopting their frame demands financing.

>>say_it+(OP)
In the context of the u.s. system of capitalism, "non-profit" does not equate to "non-capitalist". The institutions still serve capital (if we look to Marx's conception of capital as a process) -- at the very least, in avoidance of taxes, R&D to ultimately increase productivity, pacification of potential insurgent action (e.g. Andrew Carnegie's intent). We should distinguish between the role of local, community run organizations and "non-profits" that receive millions in funding from venture _capitalists_.

A few discussions here https://www.teenvogue.com/story/non-profit-industrial-comple...

"Under the nonprofit-corporate complex, the absorption of radical movements is ensured through the establishment of patronage relationships between the state and/or private capital and social movements. Ideological repression and institutional subordination is based on “a bureaucratized management of fear that mitigates against the radical break with owning-class capital (read: foundation support) and hegemonic common sense (read: law and order).”

https://monthlyreview.org/2015/04/01/the-nonprofit-corporate...