Sam Altman is set to return as OpenAI's CEO after a long weekend of leadership upheaval. The decision follows employee unrest and Microsoft's job offer to Altman. OpenAI announced on Twitter late Friday night the agreement for Altman's return and a new board.
“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,” the AI firm said late Friday evening on X.
In what was a surprising turn of events, OpenAI, a leading AI research firm, announced on November 17 the dismissal of its CEO, Sam Altman. The move sent shockwaves across Silicon Valley and raised questions about the company's future direction.
At the time, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella reportedly suggested that Altman, who joined a new AI research team at Microsoft, might return to OpenAI. This came amidst widespread employee dissent, with over 700 of OpenAI's staff signing a letter demanding the board's resignation and Altman's reinstatement.
The circumstances surrounding Sam Altman's November 17 removal from his role as CEO of OpenAI were not fully disclosed in official statements. The board of OpenAI stated that their decision to remove Sam Altman as CEO was based on findings from a review which concluded that Altman was "not consistently candid in his communications" with the board. This lack of transparency led to a diminished confidence in his leadership, prompting the abrupt change.
The conflict reportedly stemmed from disagreements over the pace of AI commercialization, pitting safety concerns against rapid development. OpenAI's Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever, initially supporting Altman's removal, expressed regret for his role in the board's decision.
Despite these internal struggles, Microsoft reaffirmed its commitment to its partnership with OpenAI. Nadella emphasized their continued collaboration to harness the potential of AI technologies.
OpenAI's leadership entered intense negotiations early this week with its co-founder Sam Altman regarding his potential reinstatement as CEO. These talks, which include Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo and OpenAI board members, are considering multiple outcomes, such as Altman's role on an interim board.
Key investors, including Thrive Capital and Sequoia Capital, pushed for Altman's return, aiming to stabilize the organization promptly. Altman's comeback, following his move to Microsoft, reportedly hinged on reforms in OpenAI's management and governance structures.
