> While I understand that tech companies have serious and legitimate concerns about corporate espionage, it appeared that OpenAI—probably the buzziest tech firm at the moment—believed that an unpublicized address and a buzzer had effectively rendered them an impenetrable fortress.
The far more likely reality is that no one who was qualified to speak on the record on behalf of the company was available at a random time of day... because you need to make an appointment for that... just like they said.
Hell, they might not even have been in the building at the time. With remote work all the more prevalent, they could be working out of town. I'm baffled why a reporter in SF believed any modern tech company would just sit down for an interview in the middle of the day because they showed up to their office unannounced.
The behavior observed in this article is exactly what I'd expect from any responsible company. It has 0 to do with "corporate espionage." Just standard security practice.
Clickbait title. SF Standard, if you want to be taken seriously, cut it with that. Theres nothing that funny about this.
You showed up at a startup office unannounced (and through multiple locked doors) and were surprised by their unpreparedness? I'm sure if you showed up at my office unannounced (early-stage team), nobody would know what to do with you or have time to deal with you.
> The company doesn’t talk to the press often, and our emails and calls went unanswered.
> So when my editor asked me to drop by and see if I could make the request in person, I thought it was worth a shot.
I for one applaud any journalist who actually puts some effort in. The majority of them parrot Twitter or uncritically read press releases. This is at least a step in the right direction.
Journalist follows an employee through a gate and later glass door. Reception desk doesn't know what to do with him and security approaches him. Apparently usually large company takes a journalist's business card or have some procedure how to deal with journalists in place. In any case he was sent off. "Less than two minutes after entering, I was out." Not sure where the hilarity was or why the story was worth publishing.
I asked ChatGPT to write a story on "I Tried To Visit OpenAI’s Office. Hilarity Ensued". (Mild) Hilarity Ensued
Write a newspaper story on " I Tried to Visit OpenAI's Office. Hilarity Ensued "
As a tech enthusiast and avid follower of all things artificial intelligence, I had always dreamed of visiting the offices of OpenAI, one of the world's leading research labs for AI and machine learning. So when I heard that the company had recently opened a new office in San Francisco, I knew I had to make the trip.
I arrived at the address listed on the OpenAI website, excited to finally see where all the magic happened. But as I walked up to the building, I couldn't help but feel like something was off. The exterior seemed almost too sleek, too modern to be a research lab. And as I walked through the doors, I realized my suspicions were right.
Instead of the bustling office full of researchers and engineers that I had expected, I found myself standing in the middle of a high-end retail store. Fashionable clothing and accessories were displayed on gleaming white shelves, and perfectly coiffed sales associates bustled about, chatting with customers and ringing up purchases.
I couldn't believe it. Had I gotten the address wrong? Was this some kind of prank? I approached a sales associate and asked if she knew anything about OpenAI. She gave me a confused look and asked if I was looking for the tech company. When I confirmed that I was, she let out a peal of laughter.
"Honey, you're in the wrong place," she said, still laughing. "This is a luxury fashion boutique. OpenAI is a few blocks down the street."
I couldn't help but laugh at my own mistake. As I walked out of the store, I couldn't wait to share the story with my friends and family. They would never believe that I had accidentally stumbled into a fashion boutique while trying to visit one of the world's most renowned research labs.
Despite my failed attempt to visit OpenAI's office, I left with a newfound appreciation for the company and its innovative work in the field of artificial intelligence. And who knows, maybe one day I'll finally get to see the inside of their offices for real.
The far more likely reality is that no one who was qualified to speak on the record on behalf of the company was available at a random time of day... because you need to make an appointment for that... just like they said.
Hell, they might not even have been in the building at the time. With remote work all the more prevalent, they could be working out of town. I'm baffled why a reporter in SF believed any modern tech company would just sit down for an interview in the middle of the day because they showed up to their office unannounced.
The behavior observed in this article is exactly what I'd expect from any responsible company. It has 0 to do with "corporate espionage." Just standard security practice.