Should profit be part of the calculation in developing safe AI? The future of artificial general intelligence (“AGI”) hinges on how well we balance innovation with safety. In this episode, Tyler Whitmer, founder, president, and CEO of Legal Advocates for Safe Science and Technology (LASST), talks about his work to protect OpenAI’s original mission to ensure AGI is safe and benefits all of humanity. Drawing on his background as a commercial litigator and nonprofit leader, Tyler explains why OpenAI’s unique corporate structure was designed to safeguard against profit motives and how a proposed restructuring could weaken those protections. He outlines the legal and ethical risks of shifting control away from the nonprofit, the coalition effort that led to an open letter to California and Delaware attorneys general, and what changes are still needed to keep mission ahead of money. The conversation also explores broader concerns about the democratization of harmful technologies, the role of legal advocacy in tech safety, and advice for lawyers who want to work in this critical space. Listen in for a timely look at the intersection between law, technology, and the public interest!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Tyler’s path from partner at Quinn Emanuel to nonprofit AI safety advocate.
• The founding of LASST to address potential catastrophic tech risks through legal advocacy.
• How LASST uses litigation tracking and amicus briefs to influence court decisions.
• OpenAI’s charitable mission as a 501(c)(3) to ensure AGI is safe and benefits all of humanity.
• An outline of the concerns over OpenAI’s shift from mission-focused to profit-driven goals.
• What makes OpenAI’s original nonprofit-over-for-profit structure so unique.
• Details of the proposed restructuring and its potential mission risks.
• A breakdown of the open letter urging AGs to protect OpenAI’s charitable mission.
• Unpacking legal concerns for restructuring under California law and Delaware fiduciary duty.
• How OpenAI has revised its plans and the remaining questions on control and safeguards.
• Risks of removing investor return caps, including weakening mission enforceability.
• Tyler’s optimism about AI’s benefits, alongside concerns over its potential for grave harm.
• Advice for young lawyers entering the evolving AI and legal landscape.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Tyler Whitmer
Tyler Whitmer on LinkedIn
Legal Advocates for Safe Science and Technology (LASST)

Encode

Encode Amicus Brief
'Not for Private Gain: An Open Letter to OpenAI' | April 2025

'Not for Private Gain: An Open Letter to OpenAI Update' | May 2025

Fordham University School of Law Corporate Law Center

What happens when a high-stakes legal case collides with tragedy, headlines, and the film industry? In this episode of Bite-Sized Business Law, Melina Spadone, General Counsel at Thomasville Pictures and lead counsel for the Alec Baldwin film Rust, shares how she was unexpectedly thrust into one of the most publicized lawsuits in recent memory following the accidental on-set shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and sparked national outrage. From managing fractured legal teams and negotiating settlements to handling crisis PR and even editing the film’s trailer, Melina recounts how her unconventional career path and ability to navigate complexity positioned her to lead with strategy and empathy. She reflects on the power of being underestimated, the value of trusting her instincts, and the unexpected ways that her background (from M&A law to parenting) prepared her for the moment. Tune in to find out how creative thinking, empathy, and fearless leadership helped navigate one of the most sensitive lawsuits in Hollywood, and why Melina believes every twist in her unconventional career led her exactly where she was meant to be!

Key Points From This Episode:

• How Melina’s eclectic law school experience shaped her career philosophy.
• The case for being a jack of all trades and embracing unpredictability.
• Insight into the unexpected way Melina became lead counsel on the Rust case.
• Strategic leadership across litigation, OSHA, insurance, and PR in a crisis.
• Treating a movie as a distressed asset in legal negotiations.
• Honoring Halyna Hutchins through movie completion and awards consideration.
• Ways that Melina’s varied career experience and personal background prepared her for this case.
• Why being underestimated is a secret weapon.
• Lessons in self-trust, advocacy, and client-centered lawyering.
• Beyond the headlines: financing and completing Rust post-settlement.
• Thoughts on Trump’s proposed film tariffs.
• How AI and cost are shaping the future of independent film.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Melina Spadone

Thomasville Pictures

Rust Trailer

Rust on Amazon Prime

Rust on Apple TV

Room to Grow

The Metropolitan Opera

Fordham Follies

Fordham University School of Law Corporate Law Center

The U.S. just added another $5 trillion to its borrowing capacity, thanks to President Trump’s new bill. While this move may ease short-term pressure, it raises deeper questions about debt, inflation, and economic stability. In this episode we welcome back Richard Squire, Professor of Business Law at Fordham Law School and faculty director of the Corporate Law Center, to unpack the deeper implications of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”. We explore how the U.S. deficit ballooned to over 100% of GDP, and why that’s especially troubling in a country with considerably lower tax revenue than its peers. Richard explains the Federal Reserve’s evolving role in managing inflation, the politics of interest on bank reserves, and why Senator Ted Cruz’s proposal to stop those payments could trigger runaway inflation. From fiat currency to the hidden mechanics of debt monetization, Richard offers a sharp, accessible breakdown of the forces shaping America’s fiscal future. He also explains who stands to bear the costs. Tune in for an eye-opening look at the choices that will define the decades ahead.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”: How it will impact spending, taxes, and the deficit.
• How the US’s national debt compares to other developed countries.
• Why the US has an increasingly high deficit despite relatively low government spending.
• The role of low tax revenue in fueling the national debt.
• Why the Fed pays interest on bank reserves and how it helps fight inflation.
• Senator Cruz’s proposal and why it could trigger massive inflation.
• Debating a possible alternative fix to redirect income back to the Treasury.
• The politics of debt monetization and its hidden economic implications.
• Why the US is unlikely to default on debt issued in its own fiat currency.
• The economic tradeoffs between inflation, taxes, spending cuts, borrowing, and defaulting.
• Who suffers most from hyperinflation: younger adults, poorer populations, and future generations.
• Unpacking interest rates, tariffs, and the outlook for future inflation.
• A brief look at Wall Street’s reaction to debt growth and policy uncertainty.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Richard Squire
Richard Squire on LinkedIn
Amelia Martella on LinkedIn

Fordham University School of Law Corporate Law Center