Sam Altman, the co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, was fired on Friday, November 17, 2023, after the company’s board of directors lost confidence in his ability to lead the company. The board said that Altman was not consistently candid in his communications with them and that this made it difficult for them to exercise their oversight responsibilities.
Mira Murati, OpenAI’s chief technology officer, has taken over as interim CEO while the company searches for a permanent replacement.
Altman was a co-founder of OpenAI and has been CEO since 2015. He is a prominent figure in the artificial intelligence industry and has been a vocal advocate for the responsible development of AI.
The company’s board said that it was “grateful for Sam’s contributions to OpenAI,” but that it had decided that “new leadership is necessary as we move forward.” Mira Murati, OpenAI’s chief technology officer, will take over as interim CEO while the company searches for a permanent replacement.
Altman’s departure came as a surprise to many in the AI industry, as he was seen as a visionary leader who had helped to make OpenAI one of the most respected AI research labs in the world. OpenAI is known for its work on developing safe and beneficial artificial intelligence, and its products include ChatGPT, a chatbot that can generate human-quality text.
Altman’s firing is the latest in a series of recent setbacks for OpenAI. In September, the company was forced to delay the release of its next-generation AI language model, GPT-4, after it was discovered that the model could be used to generate harmful content. OpenAI has also been criticized for its close ties to Microsoft, which has invested heavily in the company.
Altman’s firing has been met with mixed reactions from the AI community. Some have expressed support for the board’s decision, while others have criticized it. It is unclear what the long-term impact of Altman’s firing will be on OpenAI.
OpenAI’s board of directors is composed of the following individuals:
- Greg Brockman: Co-founder and President of OpenAI
- Ilya Sutskever: Chief Scientist of OpenAI
- Adam D’Angelo: CEO of Quora
- Tasha McCauley: Technology entrepreneur
- Helen Toner: Director of the Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology
What the Openai Board Says
“Mr. Altman’s departure follows a deliberative review process by the board, which concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities,” the company said in a press release. “The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI.””
Greg Brockman President & Co-Founder On X
Sam and I are shocked and saddened by what the board did today.
Let us first say thank you to all the incredible people who we have worked with at OpenAI, our customers, our investors, and all of those who have been reaching out.
We too are still trying to figure out exactly…
— Greg Brockman (@gdb) November 18, 2023
Sam Altman On X
if i start going off, the openai board should go after me for the full value of my shares
— Sam Altman (@sama) November 18, 2023
Altman’s departure is likely to raise questions about the future of OpenAI and its commitment to transparency and responsible AI development. The company is currently working on a number of new AI projects, including a more advanced version of ChatGPT and a new language model called GPT-4. It remains to be seen how Altman’s ouster will affect these projects and the company’s overall direction.
Update 18th Nov 2023
According to a report by The Verge, OpenAI’s board of directors is in discussions with Sam Altman to return to the company as CEO. Altman co-founded OpenAI in 2015 and served as its CEO until he was ousted in November 2023.
The report says that the board is considering bringing Altman back in light of his experience and leadership skills. Altman is also said to strongly understand OpenAI’s mission and values.
It is unclear whether Altman is interested in returning to OpenAI, but the board is reportedly eager to bring him back. Altman is a respected figure in the AI industry, and he is credited with helping to make OpenAI one of the most important AI research labs in the world.
If Altman does return to OpenAI, it would be a significant turnaround for the company. Altman’s departure was seen as a major setback for OpenAI, and many observers were skeptical that the company would be able to find a suitable replacement.