It's been quite a week for ChatGPT-maker OpenAI — and co-founder Sam Altman.
18.11.2023 - 11:05 / wccftech.com / Greg Brockman
This is not investment advice. The author has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Wccftech.com has a disclosure and ethics policy.
In a surprising twist of events that no one could have seen coming, OpenAI's founder and CEO Sam Altman was removed from his role by a board decision less than a day back. Altman's removal created shockwaves in the media, and soon after his departure, OpenAI's president and co-founder Greck Brockman also left his role and now fresh details of what took place behind the scenes are starting to emerge.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that OpenAI's research lead, Ilya Sutskever, played a key role in the management shakeup at one of the world's preeminent artificial intelligence firms. OpenAI singlehandedly pushed AI to the front of media and stock market attention this year, and Altman's departure also sent Microsoft's shares tumbling down a couple of days after the firm had revealed its own set of artificial intelligence products.
Within hours after OpenAI's blog post announcing Altman's removal, the firm's co-founder and president Greg Brockman created even more shockwaves as he announced that he was also leaving the company after its decision to fire Altman. Brockman shared the details in a X post through an email that he sent to OpenAI employees.
After learning today’s news, this is the message I sent to the OpenAI team: https://t.co/NMnG16yFmm pic.twitter.com/8x39P0ejOM
— Greg Brockman (@gdb) November 18, 2023
Now, it appears that OpenAI's head of research, Ilya Sutskever, has played a crucial role in ousting Altman. Journalists from The Verge first reported whispers of his involvement, and now fresh statements from Brockman confirm that he was involved.
According to the former OpenAI executive, Altman got a text message from Sutskever asking him to join an OpenAI board meeting at noon Friday. When he joined, the board informed him of the decision. After Altman's removal, Brockman was next on Sutskever's radar, as he messaged him soon after noon to request a similar meeting. This meeting had the same outcome, but while Altman's employment was terminated, Brockman was simply demoted as Sutskever determined that he was 'vital' to OpenAI's future.
While Sutskever is yet to publicly comment on the coup at OpenAI, a previous tweet that he made on X might indicate some of his motivations. In a late September post, he stated that "Ego is the enemy of growth," hinting that perhaps there was friction within OpenAI about changes or upgrades to the product. To lend credence to this fact is the tone of the blog post announcing Altman's dismissal, which was candid to mention that "he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board."
After Brockman's reveal, Altman also
It's been quite a week for ChatGPT-maker OpenAI — and co-founder Sam Altman.
OpenAI announced that ChatGPT, the popular generative artificial intelligence-based chatbot, was getting new capabilities earlier in September. These features have now been rolled out globally, and one of the most interesting features will be available to all users, whether they subscribe to its premium version or use the free version. The feature grants ChatGPT voice capability, letting it both receive queries verbally and answer them in the same way. These features will be available in the mobile app version of the platform.
Unlike Google, Facebook and other tech giants, the company behind ChatGPT was not created to be a business. It was set up as a nonprofit by founders who hoped that it wouldn't be beholden to commercial interests.
Last week, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was fired by the company board for allegedly failing to be "consistently candid in his communications." Now, mere days later, Altman has returned as CEO.
OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman is to return as CEO of the company, mere days after his chaotic firing by a board that seems to have lost all support. A deal has been reached «in principle» for his return that will see new board members appointed, and the agreement comes shortly after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella had essentially checkmated OpenAI by offering Altman a job and guaranteeing the role and salary of any OpenAI staff that wished to join him.
Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship. Learn more.
Sam Altman and members of the OpenAI board have opened negotiations aimed at a possible return of the ousted co-founder and chief executive officer to the artificial intelligence company, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
This is not investment advice. The author has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Wccftech.com has a disclosure and ethics policy.
Following a surprise ouster, OpenAI co-founder and former CEO Sam Altman joined Microsoft as the head of artificial intelligence research along with the ChatGPT maker's former President Greg Brockman and other staff. The developments come less than a year after OpenAI kicked off the generative AI frenzy with the launch of viral chatbot ChatGPT and bagged Microsoft as an investor, among other big names.
It is day 5 of the OpenAI saga, and it is still delivering shocking twists and turns. When everyone thought Sam Altman, the ousted CEO of OpenAI, would join Microsoft and lead their AI division, CEO Satya Nadella gave cryptic interviews suggesting he wasn't sure where Altman would end up. Sprinkle in Ilya Sutskever's post expressing regret over participation in the board's actions and the threats of mass resignation from more than 500 employees of OpenAI, and you have a tale that will be remembered in Silicon Valley for decades to come.
Most of OpenAI's employees have threatened to resign and follow ousted leader Sam Altman to Microsoft Corp. unless the current board resigns, leaving the future of the high-profile artificial intelligence startup increasingly uncertain.
Microsoft Corp. said that Sam Altman will lead the software developer's new in-house artificial intelligence team after the OpenAI co-founder was ousted from his startup last week, a bid to shore up Microsoft's AI plans and reassure investors.