In a startling move, Open AI’s board announced the removal of Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO, due to a review uncovering his inconsistent communication with the board.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The company stated, “The board has lost confidence in his ability to lead OpenAI,” and has appointed Mira Murati as interim CEO while the search for a permanent replacement commences.
Although the reasons behind Altman’s alleged lack of transparency were not disclosed, it was emphasized that his behavior was impeding the board’s responsibilities.
Altman, who formerly worked at X, expressed his fondness for his time at OpenAI on Twitter, suggesting that more information about his future endeavors would follow.
Notably, OpenAI has a licensing and technology agreement with the Associated Press, granting access to parts of the AP’s textual archives.
Altman played a key role in establishing OpenAI as a non-profit research laboratory back in 2015. His prominence grew after the widespread recognition of ChatGPT, attracting attention during his global appearances and discussions on AI.
Amidst the changes, OpenAI’s President and Board Chairman, Greg Brockman, will step down as Chairman of the Board, while remaining in his current role at the company, reporting to the CEO. No explanation was provided for this change.
OpenAI reiterated that its board includes Chief Scientist, Ilya Sutskever, and three non-employees: Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo, tech entrepreneur Tasha McCauley, and Helen Toner of the Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology.
Microsoft, a major business partner of OpenAI, affirmed that this transition will not disrupt their partnership, emphasizing their commitment to Mira and her team.
Despite lacking formal AI training, Altman has been regarded as a Silicon Valley luminary since his early 20s, gaining attention for his role in leading startup incubator YCombinator.
OpenAI, initially a non-profit with backing from influential figures including Elon Musk, evolved into a profitable business in 2018, transitioning most of its employees to the business entity. This shift coincided with their release of GPT language models.
While maintaining its non-profit governance, OpenAI’s business arm has tailored its technology to cater to corporate clientele, signaling a strategic transformation.
Industry analysts downplayed Altman’s departure, attributing it to individual issues rather than reflecting broader problems within OpenAI’s business or technology.
Contributors: Halleluia Hadero, Kelvin Chan, Michael Liedtke, David Hamilton, Matt O’Brien (The Associated Press). Source: ca.finance.yahoo.com
