SAN FRANCISCO – OpenAI, the artificial intelligence research lab, is facing significant leadership changes following the recent ousting of CEO Sam Altman. The company, which gained recognition for its ChatGPT technology under Altman’s tenure, is now navigating through a tumultuous period that has seen calls for board resignations and intense negotiations over its future governance.
Today, the OpenAI board, which includes Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever and external members such as Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo, entrepreneur Tasha McCauley, and Helen Toner of Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology, has agreed in principle to step down amidst the fallout from Altman’s departure. The decision comes as Microsoft (NASDAQ:) CEO Satya Nadella plays a pivotal role in discussions about the organization’s direction, reflecting Microsoft’s substantial $13 billion investment in OpenAI.
The board is currently vetting potential new directors, with Bret Taylor being considered for a seat, and a Microsoft executive might also join the reformed board. This move indicates an ongoing partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI, despite the internal turmoil.
Altman’s firing was announced to him by Ilya Sutskever on Friday via a video call. Greg Brockman, who resigned his chairman position but remains president after publicly criticizing the board’s decision on social media, was not present during this call. Mira Murati has taken on the role of interim CEO in the wake of these changes.
The shakeup at OpenAI began following an internal investigation that questioned Altman’s transparency with the board. His leadership saw the transition of OpenAI from a nonprofit entity to a profit-driven model and an FTC inquiry into potential legal violations concerning data practices. Prior to his termination, Altman had been actively representing ChatGPT at events like the APEC summit.
Moreover, OpenAI recently paused new subscriptions for ChatGPT’s premium version due to capacity limits being exceeded. This decision underscores the challenges faced by the company as it scales its technologies.
As negotiations over leadership and governance continue to unfold at OpenAI headquarters, all eyes are on how these changes will shape the future of one of the most prominent players in artificial intelligence research.
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