TechCrunch podcast examines why OpenAI bought Hiro and TBPN

In short: A TechCrunch Equity podcast episode says OpenAI’s recent small acquisitions may be aimed at finding new paid products and improving its public image.

What happened

TechCrunch’s Equity podcast discussed two recent OpenAI acquisitions. One was Hiro, an AI personal finance startup. The other was TBPN, a business talk show and media startup.

The hosts described both deals as likely “acqui-hires,” which means buying a company mainly to bring its people into the buyer’s team (like buying a small restaurant mostly to hire the chef and staff). In Hiro’s case, the podcast noted that the product is shutting down, which supports the idea that OpenAI is mainly bringing in talent.

The conversation also raised questions about why OpenAI would buy a media company. TBPN has reportedly said it will keep “editorial independence,” meaning it can keep making its show without OpenAI telling it what to say. The podcast hosts said it is still reasonable to be skeptical about how independent a show can be after it is owned by the company it might cover.

Why it matters

The episode framed these deals as clues about two pressures OpenAI may be feeling. One is the need to build products that people will pay for beyond a general chatbot, like ChatGPT. The other is the need to manage how the public sees the company, especially during increased scrutiny and competition, including from Anthropic in business and coding tools.

Source: TechCrunch AI