Sam Altman will return as chief executive of OpenAI after the ChatGPT developer said it had “reached an agreement in principle” for his reinstatement.
Recall that the board of OpenAI had on Friday fired Altman accusing him of not being “consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities” – but did not specify what he is alleged to have not been candid about.
Then on Monday, OpenAI biggest investor Microsoft, announced that it has hired Altman and OPenAI’s co-founder Greg Brockman to lead up a “new advanced AI research team.”
Greg Brockman who had quit OpenAI on Friday after his colleague’s sacking also announced his return to the company in an X post, writing “we are so back” in a selfie with colleagues.
we are so back pic.twitter.com/YcKwkqdNs5
— Greg Brockman (@gdb) November 22, 2023
“We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman to return to OpenAI as CEO with a new initial board of Bret Taylor (Chair), Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo. We are collaborating to figure out the details. Thank you so much for your patience through this,” OpenAI wrote on its official account on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Altman posted soon after: “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 added: “I’m looking forward to returning to OpenAI.”
Also, Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft in a post on X Wednesday morning said, “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 OAI continues to thrive and build on 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.”
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… https://t.co/djO6Fuz6t9
— Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) November 22, 2023
Nearly all of OpenAI’s 750-strong workforce had threatened to quit unless the board overseeing the business brought back Altman and then quit immediately afterwards.
The deal that brought the Altman back to OpenAI includes a new-look board led by Bret Taylor, the former co-CEO of software firm Salesforce. The board will include Larry Summers, the former US treasury secretary, and Adam D’Angelo, the tech entrepreneur and current board member who played a role in Altman’s firing.
Altman had been replaced with ex-Twitch CEO Emmett Shear, who called the job a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”.
Mr Altman, 38, helped launch the firm – best known for creating the popular ChatGPT bot which has been accused of political and religious bias.
Ifunanya Ikueze is an Engineer, Safety Professional, Writer, Investor, Entrepreneur and Educator.
