After nearly all employees threatened to quit following Sam Altman’s sudden firing, OpenAI will reinstate him as CEO and nominate new board members. Altman, sacked by OpenAI’s board on Friday, was negotiating a return…
After virtually all of its employees threatened to quit following Sam Altman’s sudden firing, OpenAI has agreed to bring him back as CEO and appoint new board members.
“We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO with a new initial board of Bret Taylor (Chair), Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo,” the business posted on X.
Sam Altman will return to OpenAI as CEO with a new board of Bret Taylor (Chair), Larry Summers, and Adam D'Angelo per agreement.
Details are being worked out together. Your patience is much appreciated.
— @OpenAI November 22, 2023Working “to figure out the details” of the arrangement, the business said.
Sam Altman confirmed the news, saying he was excited to rejoin OpenAI.
“I love openai, and my past several days have been spent supporting this team and its mission. “I’m excited to return to openai and strengthen our partnership with Microsoft,” Altman wrote on X.
I adore openai, and everything I've done in the previous few days has helped this team and purpose. It was evident to me and the team that joining msft on sun evening was optimal. Thanks to the new board and Satya's backing, I'm...
22 November 2023, Sam Altman (@sama)Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who had recently hired Sam Altman, said they had discussed the matter and agreed that this is “a first essential step” to build a “more stable, well-informed, and effective governance” in OpenAI minutes after Altman announced his decision to return.
Altman was in talks to return to OpenAI after the board sacked him on Friday over disagreements on how rapidly to develop and monetize AI. The talks stalled on Sunday due to Altman and others’ pressure for board members to leave. Instead, the board appointed former Twitch CEO Emmett Shear as leader, while Microsoft, OpenAI’s biggest sponsor, announced it would employ Altman to run an in-house AI unit.
OpenAI, founded in 2015, has previous shakeups. Elon Musk, a co-founder of the non-profit, was its co-chair, and in 2020 other executives left to start AI safety competition Anthropic.
Altman rose to renown with ChatGPT last year, which sparked a race to improve AI research and development and billions in investment.
Conclusion
After virtually all of its employees threatened to quit after Sam Altman’s sudden firing, OpenAI agreed to reinstate him as CEO and designate new board members. Bret Taylor (Chair), Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo joined the board after the business announced the agreement in principle. Altman was excited to return to OpenAI and strengthen their Microsoft cooperation.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who just hired Altman, called this “a first essential step” to improve OpenAI’s governance. OpenAI’s board fired Altman on Friday for disputes on AI development and monetization. On Sunday, Altman and others pressured board members to quit, halting talks. Instead, the board appointed former Twitch CEO Emmett Shear as leader, while Microsoft, OpenAI’s biggest supporter, hired Altman to run a new in-house AI unit.
Since its 2015 introduction, OpenAI has undergone significant changes. In 2020, several leaders left the non-profit, including co-founder Elon Musk, to create competitor Anthropic, which promises to prioritize AI safety. Last year, Altman’s ChatGPT triumph sparked a billion-dollar AI research and development race.
