Late last year, Bell, Blackwell and Aguilar decided to sprinkle the old script. They commissioned a legal memorandum that reaffirmed the attorney general’s irrevocable status over charitable funds and called on their contacts to form a coalition that now has more than 50 community organizations working together to try to influence the future of one of the world’s hottest tech companies.
Blackwell said some members of the organization were concerned that Openai's plans could threaten the integrity of the entire nonprofit sector. They believe that donors may be reluctant to continue donating, and that money they believe is designated for the public interest may be divested into a for-profit pursuit.
The coalition urged California Attorney General Rob Bonta to carefully review the OpenAI conversion and launched a campaign in January to draw public attention to the issue. The effort has received extensive support, including some former OpenAI employees and AI researchers, who have also urged Bonta's colleagues in Delaware (Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open-Open- (The offices of both attorneys generals say they are investigating the matter, but rarely provide details.)
By March, Openai wants to meet with Aguilar's Advocacy Alliance. In the San Francisco Foundation’s office, Blackwell, Aguilar and another coalition leader sat down with two global affairs staff at OpenAI, including Debbie Mesloh, a former senior adviser to then California Attorney General Kamala Harris.
The meeting, held by Openai, said the meeting raised “a misunderstanding of our company’s structure, many of which seem to echo the Musk expression.” Aguilar said Openai wanted to feedback on the development of its nonprofit mission. However, the core issues of the amount of funds and independent openings to charities are the core issues.
Another attendee at the conference was Daniel Zingale, a former retired adviser to several California governors and is now consulting Openai. Mesloh and other corporate leaders who know Zingale from California politics hope his help bring together a group of celebrities from the charity world to provide advice on how Openai should spend its charitable funds and allocate its technology to other nonprofits. In 2023, OpenAI's current nonprofit sector provides more than $2.6 million in grants to educational institutions, AI security groups and economics researchers.
Zingale said the advocacy of Aguilar's external alliance helped play a role in the establishment of Openai's Advisory Commission, which began meetings, which began April 21 and its recommendations will start from July 20 to July 20.
Its members include senior political adviser Jack Oliver, former media executive Monica Lozano and 95-year-old labor activist Huerta. They did not respond to requests for comment.
Syngar also helped recruit Robert Ross, who served as CEO of the California Endowment for about a quarter of a century, one of the nonprofits brought on by the healthcare transition in the 90s. Ross said his previous organization was widely regarded as a nonprofit foundation for success in the transition, and he hopes Openai is the same.
"This is a big deal in the civic and political circles with huge consequences for civil society and marginalized and underserved communities," Ross said. "Our mission is more about spending - how assets should be deployed. But if we don't talk about governance, it's incomplete. I doubt you'll see a report on both."
Aguilar said he expressed doubts about the advisory group's efforts. While the committee should make suggestions on how OpenAI can help ensure everyone has a chance to benefit from AI tools, both Zingale and Ross said they have little experience using AI by themselves.
"It's a fascinating effort for me because my knowledge of AI can fit into thimbles," Ross said, adding that he is eager to learn from other knowledgeable people.