OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, has acquired the well-known tech podcast TBPN. As OpenAI is trimming noncore businesses ahead of its initial public offering (IPO) this year, the acquisition is drawing attention to the rationale behind bringing the podcast onboard.
On the 2nd (local time), major foreign media including The Wall Street Journal (WJS) reported that Fidji Simo, OpenAI's applications institutional sector chief executive officer (CEO), said in an internal notice that the company acquired TBPN. The purchase price was not disclosed.
TBPN is a podcast run by prominent Silicon Valley investors John Coogan and Jody Hays. High-profile founders and executives in tech, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, have appeared, boosting its popularity. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also appeared on TBPN several times.
OpenAI said it acquired TBPN to improve public understanding of artificial general intelligence (AGI), but some worry the company may move to shape public opinion through a popular podcast. In the United States, podcasts and video content created by influential individuals such as Joe Rogan or MrBeast are drawing tens of millions of viewers, expanding their influence to the point of challenging traditional media.
According to OpenAI, TBPN will continue to maintain editorial independence in terms of program management and the selection of guests.
TBPN generated about $5 million in advertising revenue last year, and this year's revenue is expected to exceed $30 million, the WSJ reported.