🎙️ EP14: Rethinking Non-Profit Structure - Profits, Power and Perception

In this episode of Rethinking Tech, Aparna and Harinda dig into the paradox of nonprofits in the tech industry, with a special focus on OpenAI. Is it possible to build AI “for the benefit of humanity” while operating within a structure that allows for profit? And what does that mean for public trust, ethics, and the future of tech?

We explore everything from OpenAI’s unusual capped-profit structure to the broader geopolitical implications of nonprofit frameworks in AI development. Plus, each host brings a thought-provoking article of the week to the table — don’t miss those links below.

🔖 Chapters:

• 00:00 The Paradox of OpenAI

• 01:08 Understanding Nonprofits in Tech

• 07:06 The Evolution of OpenAI's Structure

• 09:37 OpenAI's structure

• 14:15 The Debate: Benefiting Humanity or the Few?

• 18:26 Examples of Profitable Nonprofits

• 20:43 The Trust Factor: Nonprofit Status and Public Perception

• 24:39 Geopolitical Implications of Nonprofit Structures

• 31:33 Ethics in Tech: Does Structure Matter?

• 37:16 The Future of Nonprofits in Tech

📰 Articles of the Week:

• Aparna’s Pick: Bill Gates wants to give away all his money. It’s proving harder than he thought – CNN Tech

• Harinda’s Pick: The rise of the “American Pope”: Leo Prevost, Trump, and the Catholic political machine – CNN Politics

Follow the hosts:

Aparna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aparnabhushan/

Harinda: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harindak/

https://rethinkingtech.co

🎧 Listen, subscribe, and share. If this episode made you think differently about tech and ethics, we’d love to hear from you.

#rethinkingtech #openai #nonprofittech #aigovernance #ethicalai #futureoftech