OpenAI's Secret Anthropic Merger Plot Revealed

• A newly public deposition from OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever reveals that rival AI lab Anthropic was initially “excited” about a potential merger.
• The merger discussions took place two years ago, in the chaotic days immediately following the OpenAI board’s firing of CEO Sam Altman.
• This revelation adds a stunning new layer to the internal conflicts and high-stakes power struggles that nearly fractured the world's leading AI company.
• Such a deal would have dramatically consolidated the generative AI market, combining two of its fiercest competitors into a single entity.

The Secret Deal That Almost Reshaped a Trillion-Dollar Industry

In a bombshell revelation shaking the AI world, a newly public deposition has disclosed that OpenAI and its chief rival, Anthropic, discussed a potential merger during the most turbulent period in OpenAI's history. According to testimony from OpenAI co-founder and former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, Anthropic expressed initial “excitement” about the possibility of joining forces just after the OpenAI board controversially fired CEO Sam Altman two years ago.

A Bombshell Deposition Reveals All

The disclosure comes from a deposition Sutskever gave to attorneys, which was made public this week. His testimony provides an unprecedented glimpse into the backroom dealings that occurred when OpenAI’s future was hanging by a thread. The idea of a merger was floated as a potential path forward, a move that would have united the creators of ChatGPT and Claude under one roof.

Sutskever, a key figure in the boardroom drama that led to Altman's temporary ouster, stated that Anthropic—a company founded by former OpenAI employees—was receptive to the idea. This suggests that the rivalry between the two AI giants could have been set aside for a blockbuster deal that would have redefined the competitive landscape.

Unpacking the "Internal Beefs"

The deposition confirms the severity of the "internal beefs" plaguing OpenAI at the time. The firing of Altman sent shockwaves through Silicon Valley and led to a near-mass exodus of employees who pledged to follow him. In this power vacuum, the board, including Sutskever, was exploring radical options to stabilize the company. The fact that a merger with their primary competitor was on the table underscores the desperation and uncertainty of that moment.

An Alternate Reality for AI

Had the merger proceeded, the implications would have been monumental. It would have consolidated two of the most advanced large language models and their research teams, potentially accelerating AI development while also raising serious antitrust concerns. The generative AI space, currently characterized by intense competition between OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and others, would look vastly different today.

Ultimately, the merger never materialized. Sam Altman was dramatically reinstated as CEO just days after his firing, and the internal crisis subsided. Sutskever later expressed regret for his role in the coup and eventually departed OpenAI to start his own venture. However, his deposition serves as a startling reminder of a pivotal moment when the entire future of the AI industry almost took a radically different path.