At the time, few people beyond the insular world of AI research knew about OpenAI. Until that year, OpenAI had been something of a stepchild in AI research. But in the six months leading up to my visit, the rapid slew of changes at OpenAI signaled a major shift in its trajectory. What was clear was that OpenAI was beginning to exert meaningful sway over AI research and the way policymakers were learning to understand the technology. I would have three days to interview leadership and embed inside the company.