OpenAI boss Sam Altman will receive the Axel Springer Award in recognition of his “contribution to digital transformation and his belief that technology should serve humans, not the other way around,” the Axel Springer media group announced on Monday.
The award ceremony is set for September 24 in Berlin.
“Sam Altman embodies innovation paired with reflection,” Axel Springer chief executive Mathias Döpfner said in a statement.
“His work at OpenAI has fundamentally changed how we think about technology and its potential to augment human capabilities. We are delighted to honor him with the Axel Springer Award.”
Axel Springer is a major German media company known for publishing newspapers, such as Bild, and digital media outlets, like Politico.
The non-monetary award recognizes entrepreneurs who have transformed markets. Altman is the ninth recipient; past honorees include Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee.
Since the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT programme in late 2022, interest in AI has surged. According to OpenAI, ChatGPT now has nearly 700 million weekly users. The AI race also involves companies such as Anthropic, Musk’s xAI, and tech giants Google and Meta.