A good son returns home, even under pressure. This was the surprising outcome of the dismissal of Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. This Wednesday (22), the world woke up with the news of Altman’s return to the company responsible for ChatGPTafter intense negotiations and a reorganization of the company’s board, moves motivated by pressure from OpenAI employees.
Last Friday (17), the company’s board announced the dismissal of the CEO, claiming that he had not been frank in their communications, generating a loss of trust on the part of senior members. But in an emotional turn of events, the decision provoked negative reactions within OpenAI, including the immediate departure of President Greg Brockman and the revolt of more than 743 employees, who represent 96% of the company’s total workforce.
In solidarity with Altman and Brockman, employees released an open letter this Tuesday (21) declaring that they were willing to follow the leaders, who migrated to Microsoft, unless the board reinstated them into the company and resigned immediately. The company created by Bill Gates also stated that there was space to accommodate everyone, which would cause a dismantling of OpenAI.
With so much pressure, the council had no choice and backed down, announcing Altman’s return. Co-founder of OpenAI and one of the main names in the development of artificial intelligence, the CEO closed an agreement with the company that, in principle, includes the creation of a new board of directors chaired by Bret Taylor, former co-chief executive of Salesforce, with the participation of Larry Summers, former US Treasury Secretary, and Adam DAngelo, CEO of Quora.
The three people leaving the company’s board are OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, who signed the team’s letter calling for Altman’s return; Tasha McCauley, technology entrepreneur; and Helen Toner, director of the Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University. Altman did not regain his board seat, but the reorganization is intended to stabilize OpenAI’s governance.
On his official account on X (formerly Twitter), the CEO celebrated his return to the company and declared his intention to strengthen the partnership between OpenAI and Microsoft, which offered him leadership of a new advanced AI research team, further complicating more the situation.
i love openai, and everything ive 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 satyas support, im
Sam Altman (@sama) November 22, 2023
AI love OpenAI and everything I’ve done in the last few days has served to keep this team and its mission together. When I decided to join MSFT (Microsoft) on Sunday night, it was clear that this was the best path for me and the team. With the new board and Satya’s support, I look forward to returning to OpenAI and building on our strong partnership with MSFT.
Brockman also confirmed, on his official X profile, that he is returning to OpenAI, with the caption We are so back (We are backtranslated from English) in a selfie with colleagues.
And what about Microsoft in this story?
Microsoft is OpenAI’s largest investor, and had been pressuring the company to reinstate Altman. Last Monday (20), the technology giant hired Altman and Brockman, in a move interpreted by analysts as giving the former CEO a de facto leadership role over his former employer.
The relationship with Microsoft, whose shares plummeted when Altman was announced and rose again when it appeared he would work directly for the company, remains key to OpenAI. Although Microsoft does not currently hold a board seat, Taylor, Summers and D’Angelo will examine a new and larger board for OpenAI on which Microsoft should have a seat, according to information released by The Verge. Microsoft’s chief executive, Satya Nadella, also spoke out on his X profile about the return of the OpenAI duo.
We are encouraged by the changes to the OpenAI board. We believe this is a first essential step on a path to more stable, well-informed, and effective governance. Sam, Greg, and I have talked and agreed they have a key role to play along with the OAI leadership team in ensuring
Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) November 22, 2023
We are encouraged by the changes to the OpenAI framework. We believe this is an essential first step on the path to more stable, well-informed and effective governance. Sam, Greg and I spoke and agreed that they have a critical role to play alongside the OAI leadership team in ensuring the company continues to thrive and advance its mission. We look forward to building on our strong partnership and delivering the value of this next generation of AI to our customers and partners.
Not all questions were answered
Altman’s return will make him OpenAI’s fourth CEO in five days! He was initially replaced by Mira Murati, the company’s chief technology officer, who took over as interim CEO before the board hired Emmett Shear, co-founder of the platform. streamingTwitchas temporary successor.
Last week, after the firing was announced, the board declined to provide details about what communications it was referring to when it said Altman was not being candid enough. When questioned, Shear denied that the CEO’s departure was linked to security concerns, amid broader fears expressed by experts that AI development is moving too quickly.
But the turmoil of recent days has raised questions about how a group of just four people could make decisions that shook up a multibillion-dollar technology business. In part, this is due to OpenAI’s unusual structure and purpose.
The company began in 2015 as a non-profit organization (yes, an NGO) that would have the mission to create safe artificial intelligence that benefits all humanity. Its objectives do not include looking after the interests of shareholders or maximizing revenue. In 2019, the company added a for-profit subsidiary, but the purpose remained unchanged and the NGO board remained in charge.
OpenAI will conduct an independent investigation into Altman’s dismissal and its consequences, but the global market is still awaiting clarification on this episode.
* With information from the BBC, Fast Company and The Guardian | Cover photo: Justin Sullivan/The Verge
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