The paper, "AI for self empowerment," dated January 18, 2026, by OpenAI, articulates the organization's core philosophy and strategic approach to AI development and deployment. The central premise is that AI is created to empower people, and a key focus for society should be managing the "capability overhang"—defined as the disparity between the advanced capabilities of AI systems and the actual value most individuals, businesses, and countries are capturing from them at scale. OpenAI notes the counterintuitive and surprising evolution of AI, citing the rapid adoption and creative applications of ChatGPT following its launch three years prior. Currently, frontier AI can reason and act across increasingly complex tasks, from software development to mathematical research. The paper asserts that active exploration by a community of users is essential to unlock AI's full potential, enabling those who lean into the technology to achieve significantly enhanced individual productivity. This is evidenced by ChatGPT usage data, which indicates that typical "power users" leverage approximately 7 times more "thinking power" (and thus compute power) and apply advanced AI capabilities more comprehensively across a wider range of tasks, resulting in more economically valuable work. The ultimate vision is for AI to drive high-level outcomes such as double-digit GDP growth, affordable healthcare, and rapid scientific advancement, thereby raising both the floor and ceiling of societal well-being.

OpenAI proposes three core principles for managing this capability overhang:

1. First to Truth: This principle emphasizes the critical importance of accurate information during periods of rapid technological change to foster agency and enable better decision-making by individuals, businesses, and policymakers. The methodology to achieve this involves publicly sharing foundational economic data and insights derived from AI's impact. A key aspect of this is the "measurement of how AI tools match up in terms of performance with humans across a range of tasks." This implies a systematic, quantitative methodology for benchmarking AI performance against human baselines across diverse task categories. Such a measurement likely involves evaluating metrics like accuracy, efficiency, quality, or completion rates for AI-driven processes compared to human execution, to objectively inform stakeholders about the practical capabilities and implications of AI adoption.

2. Access: Recognizing that AI increasingly shapes economic outcomes and its usefulness scales directly with compute power, this principle aims to ensure broad access to core AI tools. The methodology includes several practical mechanisms:
   • Free Tier of ChatGPT: This represents a business model and deployment strategy to democratize access, supported by advertising, aligning with the mission for AGI to benefit all humanity.
   • Industry-Standard API: This technical provision allows developers to build new applications on top of OpenAI's models, fostering a broader ecosystem of AI-powered solutions.
   • Collaborations: Engagement with a wide range of institutions, including governments, to support broad accessibility to frontier AI capabilities, indicating strategic partnerships and outreach.

3. Self Empowerment: This principle focuses on building tools that users can leverage to shape their future, emphasizing putting significant power into their hands through customizable and highly usable designs. The methodology underpins two main user segments:
   • Everyday Users and Small Businesses: Product experiences are designed to empower users to exceed their perceived capabilities in practical applications, such as optimizing personal finances, enhancing job search effectiveness, or generating new business ideas. This implies user-centric design principles, intuitive interfaces, and feature sets that translate complex AI capabilities into accessible, task-specific tools.
   • Builders and Founders: OpenAI supports high-agency individuals who are positioned to transform frontier AI capabilities into novel companies, products, and markets. This signifies a strategy of empowering innovators with advanced tools and resources, facilitating the creation of new economic opportunities and pushing the boundaries of AI application.

OpenAI concludes that by effectively managing the capability overhang through these principles, the "Intelligence Age" can expand opportunities for everyone, leading to a future significantly improved from the present, with many individuals, businesses, and countries empowered to participate in and benefit from AI's transformative potential.