In a surprising turn of events, the OpenAI board is reportedly in discussions with Sam Altman to reinstate him as the CEO, just a day after his abrupt dismissal without prior notice by the board. Sources close to the matter have revealed that Altman, who was ousted on Friday, is considering a return but is keen on significant governance changes within the company.
A reliable source disclosed that the board had initially reached an agreement in principle to resign and allow Altman and Brockman to return. However, it appears that the board has since hesitated, missing a crucial 5 PM PT deadline, causing many OpenAI staffers to contemplate resignation. The potential departure of Altman to start a new company could result in a mass exodus of staff members from OpenAI.
Altman’s prompt engagement in talks with the board following his dismissal paints a picture of a company in disarray in his absence. Shortly after his ejection, Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s president and former board chairman, tendered his resignation. Subsequently, Altman and Brockman have been exploring the possibility of launching a new venture, a move that has elicited consideration from their circle of friends and investors. The crisis deepened with the departure of several senior researchers on the same day, and insiders suggest that more resignations are imminent.
OpenAI’s primary investor, Microsoft, expressed its ongoing commitment to its partnership with the AI firm following Altman’s firing. Nonetheless, the decision to remove Altman was made without consultation with OpenAI’s investors, casting uncertainty over the future of the company. Altman’s removal, given his prominent role in AI, comes at a critical juncture when competitors are racing to catch up with the burgeoning popularity of ChatGPT.
Despite attempts to seek clarification on Altman’s potential reinstatement, a spokesperson for OpenAI declined to comment, while a Microsoft spokesperson opted not to provide a statement.
The current board of OpenAI comprises chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo, former GeoSim Systems CEO Tasha McCauley, and Helen Toner, the director of strategy at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology. Unlike conventional corporate boards, the OpenAI board’s focus isn’t on maximizing shareholder value, and its members do not hold equity in the company. Instead, their mission is centred on ensuring the development of “broadly beneficial” artificial general intelligence, or AGI.
Notably, Sutskever, who co-founded OpenAI and leads its researchers, reportedly played a pivotal role in Altman’s dismissal, indicating a rift between the research and product factions within the company.
