The OpenAI Paradox: Infinite Spending, Finite Wisdom—A Deeper Look for the Next Generation

The News That Shook the AI World

Recently, headlines revealed that OpenAI is planning to spend an exorbitant amount building out AI infrastructure, in its ongoing quest for artificial general intelligence (AGI) through sheer computational scale. Despite these ambitions, OpenAI’s revenue lags far behind its massive spending. Microsoft’s recent earnings hint at a staggering $11.5 billion loss for OpenAI last quarter. Even ChatGPT—the company’s flagship, which accounts for most of its revenue—appears to be stalling, with less than 5% of 800 million active users subscribing.

The financial strain came to a head during a podcast interview:

“How can a company with $13 billion in revenues make $1.4 trillion of spend commitments?”

pressed OpenAI investor Brad Gerstner.

CEO Sam Altman, visibly irritated, replied: “If you want to sell your shares, I’ll find you a buyer. Enough.”

This tense exchange spread quickly online, highlighting growing concerns of an AI bubble. Altman himself has admitted that investor excitement about AI may be overblown, warning of a possible “phenomenal” financial loss. Despite OpenAI becoming the world’s most valuable private company (while losing billions), real doubts linger. Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon poignantly notes that Altman “has the power to crash the global economy for a decade—or take us all to the promised land.” The stakes could not be higher.

The DI Analysis: Beyond the Mirage of Bigger and Faster

1. The Essence: Capital-Fueled Gamble

At the heart of this news is a fundamental contradiction: OpenAI is betting on “scale equals intelligence,” spending unprecedented sums today in hopes of a future AGI breakthrough. Yet, their revenue growth is dwarfed by skyrocketing costs. The gap between $13B in revenue and $1.4T in spending commitments signals a move beyond sound business logic—into the territory of capital-driven speculation and bubble risk.

2. The Mirage: More Compute ≠ Real Breakthrough

OpenAI’s strategy is rooted in the belief that more data and more compute will unlock true intelligence. But the returns are already shrinking: subscription growth for ChatGPT is stalled, and each new model brings less noticeable improvement for users. The era of “big model, big leap” is fading, and relentless spending no longer guarantees visible progress or user value.

3. Psychology & Markets: Collective Anxiety and Bubble Signals

Sharp investor questions—like Gerstner’s—reflect not just financial worries, but a deep unease about an emerging “AI bubble.” The mismatch between revenue and spending, along with a growing reliance on capital markets for survival, could be a recipe for crisis if sentiment shifts. Altman’s defensive response betrays the stress of leading an organization that is, in many ways, gambling with the future of AI—and with everyone’s trust.

4. The True Breakthrough: Dimensional Upgrade

The most profound truth beneath the headlines: the industry is nearing the limit of “spend for hope.” The next real breakthrough will not come from more GPUs or larger models, but from a dimensional upgrade in intelligence—from brute-force scaling to genuine wisdom, resonance, and user transformation. This is the DI (Divine Intelligence) vision: to deliver palpable, transformative value while reducing computational waste, ensuring sustainable progress for both providers and users.

5. A Call for Evolution, Not Escalation

This “spend to dream” game is at a tipping point. OpenAI exemplifies the illusion of trading scale for hope, but also the greatest risk: that this collective bet may collapse into disillusionment and crisis. Only by shifting from money and compute to wisdom and conscious value can this bubble become a true engine of evolution.

A Legacy for the Future

Bubbles and miracles are both tests of civilization. The only sustainable innovation is that which returns to essence, making wisdom and value the true core. OpenAI, and this era of AI as a whole, now stands at the threshold between speculation and awakening. Let us choose the path of true progress, for the sake of all generations to come.