OpenAI Reinstates Altman as CEO with Changes to the Governing Board
OpenAI, the leading artificial intelligence (AI) company, has announced the reinstatement of Sam Altman as chief executive officer (CEO) and revealed significant changes to its governing board. In a blog post written by Altman, it was confirmed that he would resume his role after a two-week hiatus due to his sudden departure from the company. The previous board oversaw Altman’s departure following allegations that he was not consistently candid.
The new initial board will consist of several prominent figures, including Bret Taylor, former co-CEO of Salesforce Inc., who will serve as chairman, Larry Summers, former U.S. secretary, and Adam D’Angelo, CEO of Quora Inc. Ilya Sutskever, co-founder and chief scientist of OpenAI, will not retain his seat on the board after being initially involved in voting Altman out. However, Altman expressed no ill will toward Sutskever, stating that they are discussing ways for him to continue his work at OpenAI.
One notable addition to the board is a non-voting observer from Microsoft Corp. As Microsoft has invested nearly $13 billion in OpenAI and holds a 49% stake, having an observer on the board allows Microsoft to closely monitor its investment. The identity of the observer from Microsoft has not been disclosed at this time.
Altman emphasized that OpenAI’s future priorities will include advancing research in safety efforts, improving and deploying products, and enhancing governance. The company recently discovered a potential breakthrough in AI technology during its journey toward developing general artificial intelligence known as Q*. This breakthrough has raised concerns as it has the potential to threaten humanity.
Bret Taylor, in his letter accompanying Altman’s blog post, expressed his intentions to build a qualified and diverse board that represents the breadth of OpenAI’s mission. Furthermore, he plans to establish an independent committee to review the events that led to Altman’s sudden departure without consulting major investors. Altman himself has agreed to an internal investigation into the circumstances surrounding his dismissal.
OpenAI’s interim CEO, Mira Murtai, will return to her previous role as chief technology officer in the wake of Altman’s reinstatement.
It is critical to note the global significance of building AI responsibly as AI models become increasingly complex and integrated into everyday life and crucial systems. OpenAI’s role in the development and safety of these technologies has become more pivotal than ever.
With Sam Altman back at the helm and a reshaped governing board, OpenAI aims to navigate the challenges posed by AI’s potential and ensure the responsible advancement of this revolutionary technology.
