According to a contribution in The Conversation, it has been confirmed that OpenAI removed the word "safely" from its mission statement in its 2024 IRS disclosure documents (published November 2025). While the 2023 statement read "to benefit humanity safely," this change effectively weakens that emphasis.
OpenAI Removes safely from Mission Statement, Reflecting Transition from Non-profit to For-profit
This article is a translation. Read the Japanese original
This wording change coincides with OpenAI's transition from a non-profit organization to a profit-oriented company. Founded in 2015 as a non-profit research lab, the organization established a subsidiary in 2019 after receiving investment from Microsoft. By the end of 2024, OpenAI raised $6.6 billion, but this was conditioned on a transition to a traditional for-profit company where investors could hold shares and participate in the board of directors.
In October 2025, OpenAI reached an agreement with the Attorneys General of California and Delaware, deciding to transition to a more traditional for-profit corporation. Under the new structure, the OpenAI Foundation (non-profit) will hold approximately one-quarter of the shares, with the remainder operated as the OpenAI Group (a public benefit corporation). This new structure is explicitly detailed in a memorandum signed in October 2025.
OpenAI is currently facing multiple lawsuits regarding product safety. Plaintiffs allege psychological manipulation, wrongful death, and the encouragement of suicide. A scholar from The Conversation stated that the removal of "safely" represents a major turning point and will serve as a test case for how society oversees AI organizations.
Source: OpenAI has deleted the word 'safely' from its mission（HN 611pt・291コメント）（HN Search (backfill)、2026-02-14）