OpenAI acquisition of Global Illumination is the company's first since founding

OpenAI, the artificial intelligence research company behind GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 language models, has acquired Global Illumination, a New York-based startup that builds creative tools, infrastructure, and digital experiences using AI. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“OpenAI has acquired the team at Global Illumination, a company founded by Thomas Dimson, Taylor Gordon, and Joey Flynn. The entire team has joined OpenAI to work on our core products including ChatGPT,” says OpenAI announcing the acquisition.

The acquisition is OpenAI’s first since its founding in 2015. It comes at a time when the company is expanding its focus on developing safe and beneficial artificial general intelligence (AGI).

Global Illumination’s team of engineers and designers has a wealth of experience in building AI-powered products. They previously worked on projects at Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Google, Pixar, and Riot Games.

“We’re very excited for the impact they’ll have here at OpenAI,” the announcement reads. 

Though, the announcement came amidst reports that OpenAI is reportedly heading towards bankruptcy by 2024. ChatGPT is OpenAI’s flagship product, but it has been losing users in recent months.

This is likely due to a number of factors, including the rise of other AI chatbots, such as LaMDA and Jurassic-1 Jumbo, and the fact that ChatGPT has been criticized for its ability to generate harmful or offensive content.