Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAIEmpire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI
What it's about
Karen Hao has reported on OpenAI since its early days. She tells the story of the company and of Sam Altman: its idealistic beginnings, its turn toward huge profits, the boardroom drama of 2023 when Altman was fired and returned, and the costs that rarely make the headlines, from data workers in Kenya to the water and power used by data centers.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Critics Circle Award for nonfiction. It's a deeply reported, critical look at one of the most powerful technologies and companies in the world.
You'll love it if you liked
Steve Jobs
Elon Musk
No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & JohnsonGood to know
It's openly critical of OpenAI and the AI industry. Some technical concepts are explained along the way.
By the numbers
- Readers38 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics54 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller44 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz72 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #43 of the 85 self-help and business books we rank
- #128 of the 198 history books we rank
- #162 of the 481 new books we rank
- #938 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
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Quick answers
Is Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Critics Circle Award for nonfiction. It ranks #938 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 73.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI about?
Karen Hao has reported on OpenAI since its early days. She tells the story of the company and of Sam Altman: its idealistic beginnings, its turn toward huge profits, the boardroom drama of 2023 when Altman was fired and returned, and the costs that rarely make the headlines, from data workers in Kenya to the water and power used by data centers.
How long does it take to read Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI?
About 11 hours (448 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI won?
NBCC Award (Nonfiction) winner (2025).
What should I read after Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI?
If you liked it, try Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson or No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson by Gardiner Harris.