After last week’s dramatic events at OpenAI, which saw appointment of new interim CEO and the staff threatening to resign, Sam Altman is returning to the company he co-founded in 2015. In a latest post on X (previously Twitter), Altman confirmed that he is returning to OpenAI as the CEO. “I love OpenAi, and everything I’ve done over the past few days has been in service of keeping this team and its mission together,” he said.
i love openai, and everything i’ve done over the past few days has been in service of keeping this team and its mission together. when i decided to join msft on sun evening, it was clear that was the best path for me and the team. with the new board and w satya’s support, i’m…
— Sam Altman (@sama) November 22, 2023
— Sam Altman (@sama) He also spoke about his Microsoft hiring. “When I decided to join msft (Microsoft) on sun (Sunday) evening, it was clear that was the best path for me and the team.” He also made it clear that OpenAI will have a new board. “With the new board and w Satya’s support, I’m looking forward to returning to OpenAi, and building on our strong partnership with msft (Microsoft).”
Sam was sacked by OpenAI on Friday last week after the board of the company accused Altman of a lack of transparency in communication.
While specific details about the alleged infractions remained unclear, the board’s decision indicates a lack of confidence in Altman’s ability to steer OpenAI through the complex and rapidly evolving AI landscape. According to Reuters, Altman’s removal was conveyed to employees through an internal announcement and the company’s public blog.
Post Altman’s removal as the CEO, Mira Murati was briefly appointed as the new interim CEO. Her efforts to bring back Altman went in vain initially and Emmett Shear was named as the new interim CEO. Altman on the other hand had announced that he will be joining Microsoft and will lead a new advanced AI research team along with Greg Brockman.
Today’s development in the entire OpenAI fiasco has left the internet mind blown. Here are some reactions from the netizens:
The removal of Altman sparked widespread discontent within the company, leading to an uprising among its extensive workforce of over 700 employees. In a strongly worded letter, nearly all staff members threatened to resign unless the board stepped down and Altman, alongside Brockman, were reinstated.
