OpenAI, the creator of popular chatbot ChatGPT, has been enveloped in a swirl of drama. Notably, Sam Altman, the former CEO of OpenAI, faced an abrupt termination and now in an unexpected turn of events, Microsoft has announced, hiring Altman and Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s co-founders.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced the news on X. He informed that Sam Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman will lead a new advanced AI research team.
“We remain committed to our partnership with OpenAI and have confidence in our product roadmap, our ability to continue to innovate with everything we announced at Microsoft Ignite, and in continuing to support our customers and partners. We look forward to getting to know Emmett Shear and OAI’s new leadership team and working with them. And we’re extremely excited to share the news that Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, together with colleagues, will be joining Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team. We look forward to moving quickly to provide them with the resources needed for their success,” Nadella wrote on X.
In a whirlwind of developments at OpenAI, a cascade of events surrounding Sam Altman has unfolded, creating quite the stir. Here’s a breakdown of the drama:
- Sam Altman’s abrupt firing: Altman on November 17 was ousted from his position at OpenAI, reportedly due to a “lack of transparency” in his communications with the board. The sacking of Altman triggered a chain reaction within OpenAI. Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s other co-founder, resigned in solidarity with Altman, leaving the company without its two top executives.
- Mira Murati appointed as interim CEO: OpenAI in its blog post announced that Mira Murati, the company’s chief technology officer, will serve as interim CEO, effective immediately while the company will conduct a formal search for permanent CEO.
- OpenAI mulls over bringing back Altman: There were news reports that the board was mulling over bringing back Altman and Brockman. However, no development has been in this direction yet.
- Board appoints new CEO: The board has appointed Twitch co-founder Emmett Shear as interim CEO, but it is unclear whether he will be a permanent replacement for Altman.
- OpenAI employees write open letter: According to a social media post from tech journalist Kara Swisher, over 500 employees of OpenAI have sent a letter to board demanding their resignation. These employees have threatened to quit OpenAI and to transition to the recently unveiled Microsoft subsidiary led by Altman and Brockman. The signers of the letter include names like Mira Murati and Ilya Sutskever. “I deeply regret my participation in the board’s actions. I never intended to harm OpenAI. I love everything we’ve built together and I will do everything I can to reunite the company,” Sutskever posted on X on Monday.
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