OpenAI CEO Sam Altman plans India visit amid legal battles and rising AI competition: Report
Jan 30, 2025 - businesstoday.in
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is expected to visit India next week, marking his first trip in two years amid growing legal challenges for the company in the country. Altman is scheduled to be in New Delhi on February 5, with a potential meeting with government officials, although the plans are not yet finalized. India is OpenAI’s second-largest market after the United States, making it crucial for the company's growth. Altman last visited in 2023, meeting with Prime Minister Modi to discuss AI's role in India's tech ecosystem. Since then, OpenAI has faced legal scrutiny in India, particularly over copyright disputes, with a lawsuit filed by local news agency ANI and joined by major book publishers and digital media outlets.
The visit comes as competition in the AI space intensifies, highlighted by Chinese AI startup DeepSeek's AI assistant surpassing ChatGPT as the top-ranked free app on Apple’s App Store in the US. This development has contributed to a global tech market shake-up, raising concerns about OpenAI's dominance in the sector. OpenAI has denied any wrongdoing in the legal disputes, asserting that its AI models are trained on publicly available data and are protected under fair use principles, while also contesting the jurisdiction of Indian courts.
Key takeaways:
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is expected to visit India next week, with a possible meeting with government officials in New Delhi on February 5.
India is OpenAI’s second-largest market after the United States, making it crucial for the company's growth.
OpenAI is facing legal challenges in India, including a lawsuit from ANI and other major publishers over copyright disputes.
Altman's visit comes amid growing competition in the AI space, highlighted by Chinese startup DeepSeek's AI assistant surpassing ChatGPT in the US App Store rankings.
