OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is once again in the news, and this time, he is facing greater scrutiny. Fresh reports now state that he tried to persuade US intelligence officials to provide billions of dollars in government funding by claiming that China was secretly developing Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) through an “AGI Manhattan Project.”
According to an investigation, Altman met with US intelligence officials in the summer of 2017 and warned them that China had launched a massive, covert project aimed at achieving AGI — technology capable of surpassing human cognitive abilities. He argued that the United States needed to respond urgently by funding OpenAI generously to maintain technological superiority in the global AI race.
When US officials asked Altman for concrete evidence for the alarming statement, he reportedly replied, “I’ve heard things.” He made similar claims in multiple meetings, promising to deliver proof later, but never provided any verifiable information or documentation.
Altman’s vague warnings and funding push
Altman’s episode has been described by critics as an attempt to “scam” the US government into granting substantial public funds by exaggerating, or possibly fabricating, the scale of a Chinese AGI threat. The claims came at a time when OpenAI was still in its early stages and actively seeking large-scale capital investment to advance its ambitious AI research goals.
This revelation also adds to ongoing concerns about Altman’s communication style with policymakers, as well as his blending of national security concerns with OpenAI’s commercial interests. The 2017 meetings occurred years before OpenAI went global with ChatGPT and began pursuing hundreds of billions of dollars for AI infrastructure and compute resources.
What has OpenAI stated so far
OpenAI has not issued a direct response to the specific 2017 allegations. The AI firm maintains that it is committed to responsible AGI development and advancing technology that benefits humanity, while stressing the strategic importance of American leadership in the field of AI.
With the AI race between the US and China intensifying, this incident has reignited debates about accountability, the role of private companies in national security discussions, and the potential risks of alarmist rhetoric for securing funding for new technologies. Anthropic’s case involving the US Department of Defense had also raised the same concerns, asking whether private entities are directing government agencies on matters concerning national security.