SoftBank expresses support for OpenAI's new structural reforms: 300 billion investment plan moving in the right direction.

OpenAI is undergoing a significant structural adjustment, and this reorganization effort has now received explicit support from key investor SoftBank. This reform is not only related to the direction of corporate governance but also concerns whether the investment of up to 30 billion dollars can be delivered on time.

Restructuring shifts to a "dual-track system": non-profit organizations still hold significant power

OpenAI announced this month that it will no longer pursue full commercialization, responding to concerns from civic society and former employees about "mission drift." According to the latest structure, OpenAI's nonprofit organization will retain ultimate control, while the limited liability company (LLC) that was previously responsible for business operations will transition to a public benefit corporation (PBC).

This means that the business unit can still pursue profitability, but must also take into account social value and public welfare mission. This move is a significant turnaround from the original plan to "remove nonprofit control," which had faced criticism from various parties, including tech industry figures like co-founder Elon Musk.

(OpenAI Transformation Plan Finalized: Announces Abandonment of Profitability, Sam Altman Claims It Will Not Affect Fundraising)

SoftBank publicly expressed support for the first time: investment commitments back on track.

At the latest financial report press conference, SoftBank's CFO Yoshimoto Goto publicly expressed support for OpenAI's new architectural direction for the first time. He noted that this change is "within our expectations" and emphasized that "nothing has really changed."

This statement is particularly critical because SoftBank has committed to investing $30 billion in OpenAI this year, on the condition that the company completes its restructuring by the end of the year. If it fails to do so, SoftBank has previously warned that it may reduce the investment amount to $20 billion.

Microsoft's attitude becomes a variable: consensus on rewriting the cooperation agreement has not yet been reached.

Although SoftBank has expressed support, another heavyweight backer of OpenAI — Microsoft, has yet to agree to this structural reform. According to reports from Bloomberg and the Financial Times, OpenAI is negotiating with Microsoft to rewrite their multi-billion dollar cooperation agreement.

The Financial Times further pointed out that Microsoft is currently the largest and most critical opponent, and whether it ultimately gives the green light will have a direct impact on the overall restructuring process.

Multiple stakeholders await coordination, and the road to reform still faces challenges.

Goto from SoftBank stated that their position is based on the assumption that restructuring will take place, "However, there are many stakeholders involved with OpenAI, and some may intervene, which could make the process less smooth than expected." Nevertheless, he also admitted that this part "we cannot control and can only watch how it unfolds."

Nonprofits still dominate, investment doors are open, but internal differences still need to be resolved.

OpenAI's latest transformation plan attempts to strike a balance between "pursuing public welfare" and "attracting funding," with SoftBank's support providing a strong boost. However, unless Microsoft ultimately gives the green light, this restructuring drama among AI giants is likely to have many chapters yet to be written.

(Microsoft and OpenAI discuss collaboration terms again: reducing shareholding in exchange for technology access, the $13 billion partnership faces restructuring pressure)

This article states that SoftBank supports OpenAI's new structural reforms: a $300 billion investment plan is moving in the right direction. First appeared in Chain News ABMedia.