Following the end of an external investigation into the firm’s instability, OpenAI has reinstated Founding CEO Sam Altman to the board of directors and stated that it has “full confidence” in his leadership of the company.
The creator of ChatGPT hired WilmerHale, a law firm, to investigate the reasons behind Altman’s unexpected termination from the company in November and his subsequent rehire a few days later. OpenAI stated in a summary of the conclusions on Friday that after months of research, it concluded that Altman’s removal was the result of a breakdown in the relationship and lack of trust between him and the previous board. It did not make the entire report public.
Additionally, OpenAI announced that Nicole Seligman, a former general counsel for Sony, Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellman, a former CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Fidji Simo, the CEO of Instacart, had joined the board of directors.
The San Francisco-based artificial intelligence business is using these steps to demonstrate to investors and consumers that it is making an effort to move past the internal battles that almost brought the company down last year and garnered international attention.
“I’m glad this whole thing is over,” Altman told reporters on Friday. He also expressed his displeasure at seeing individuals with ulterior motives leaking material in an attempt to undermine the business or its goals and set us against one another.Simultaneously, he expressed his learning from the experience and expressed regret for a disagreement with a previous board member that he could have managed “with greater elegance and compassion.”
As a parting shot, two board members who supported Altman’s firing before being removed themselves wished the new board well but stressed the importance of accountability while developing technology “as potentially world-changing” as OpenAI’s.
Helen Toner and Tasha McCauley, two former board members, released a joint statement saying, “We hope the new board does its job in governing OpenAI and holding it accountable to the mission.” “As we told the investigators, deception, manipulation, and resistance to thorough oversight should be unacceptable.”
OpenAI remained silent on the reasons behind Altman’s Nov. 17 dismissal by its former board of directors for more than three months. That day, an announcement claimed that Altman’s communications were “not consistently candid,” impeding the board’s capacity to carry out its duties. Along with its chairman, Greg Brockman, he was also expelled from the board, and in response, he resigned as president of the business.
A significant portion of OpenAI’s disputes have their origins in its peculiar governance framework. Once a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating safe, futuristic AI that benefits humanity, it is now a rapidly expanding large company that is still governed by a nonprofit board that is constrained by its initial goals.
According to the investigation, the previous board exercised its discretion. However, it also found that Altman’s “conduct did not mandate removal,” according to OpenAI. It stated that Brockman and Altman were still the best executives for the business.
