Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has emerged as one of the most influential voices in artificial intelligence (AI), known for his ability to navigate both technological innovation and complex business relationships. In a recent appearance on the Hard Fork Podcast, Altman addressed public speculation about the state of OpenAI’s partnership with Microsoft, offering a candid perspective on the realities of high-stakes collaboration in the tech industry.

Altman described a recent conversation with Microsoft (MSFT) CEO Satya Nadella, noting it was a “super nice call” that covered a range of topics, including their shared hopes for a “very long and productive future working together.” This sentiment underscores the depth of the relationship between the two companies, which began in earnest when Altman secured a $1 billion investment from Microsoft in 2019 — a move that enabled OpenAI to accelerate its research and product development at a critical moment.

Since then, the partnership has expanded dramatically. In 2023, Microsoft announced a new multi-year $10 billion investment in OpenAI, further cementing the relationship and integrating OpenAI’s technology into Microsoft’s products and cloud infrastructure. Altman acknowledged that, as with any “deep partnership,” there are “points of tension,” but emphasized that overall, the collaboration has been “wonderfully good for both companies.” This pragmatic view is consistent with Altman’s reputation for balancing ambition with realism, a skill honed during his years as president of Y Combinator and as a serial entrepreneur in Silicon Valley.

Altman’s authority on the subject is rooted in his track record of leading OpenAI through both rapid growth and significant challenges. He co-founded OpenAI in 2015 with the mission to advance digital intelligence for the benefit of humanity, and has since overseen the launch of transformative products like GPT-3, DALL-E, and ChatGPT. These innovations have not only shaped the direction of AI research but have also brought the technology to millions of users worldwide.

Addressing rumors about friction between OpenAI and Microsoft, Altman remarked that while media coverage sometimes speculates about the partnership “about to collapse,” his own conversations focus on “how do we figure out what the next decade together looks like?” He was clear that “there is” tension, but also “so much good stuff there,” and he expects the partnership to remain valuable for both sides “for a very long time to come.”

Altman’s approach reflects his broader philosophy: ambitious goals require strong, sometimes challenging alliances. His leadership style — marked by transparency, adaptability, and a focus on long-term value — continues to shape OpenAI’s role at the forefront of artificial intelligence, and the company’s ongoing collaboration with Microsoft remains a central pillar of that strategy.