OpenAI Staffers Demand Board Resignation & Threaten to Quit After CEO’s Ouster
In a shocking turn of events, OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, finds itself in turmoil as hundreds of its employees call for the resignation of the company’s board and threaten to quit themselves. The upheaval began with the unexpected dismissal of CEO Sam Altman and culminated in his subsequent employment at Microsoft.
Over 500 employees have signed a letter accusing the OpenAI board of mishandling Altman’s firing and failing to provide adequate evidence for claims that Altman had been dishonest with the board. They also criticized the board for negotiating in bad faith with the company’s executive leadership. The letter alleges that the board’s actions have demonstrated a lack of competence, judgment, and care for OpenAI’s mission and employees.
Furthermore, the employees issued a stark warning, stating that they would follow Altman to Microsoft unless the board steps down and reinstates Altman and Greg Brockman, the former OpenAI president who was also removed from his position by the board.
Among the employees who signed the letter is Mira Murati, who had been named as Altman’s interim successor before being superseded by the appointment of Emmett Shear as the incoming interim CEO. Also notable among the signatories is Ilya Sutskever, co-founder, chief scientist, and board member of OpenAI, who was reported to have played a role in Altman’s dismissal. Sutskever later expressed regret for his involvement in the leadership crisis and pledged to do everything in his power to reunite the company.
The letter sheds light on the internal divisions at OpenAI that have now become public following Altman’s firing. It also raises doubts about the future of OpenAI’s three non-employee board members, including Adam D’Angelo, CEO of Quora, Tasha McCauley, a technology entrepreneur, and Helen Toner, the director of strategy and foundational research grants at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology.
The employees claim that during the fallout of Altman’s firing, the board members suggested that allowing the company to be destroyed would be consistent with OpenAI’s mission of ensuring that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity. This has caused further criticism from the staff and has highlighted Altman’s loyal following, as well as Microsoft’s potential to benefit from the situation.
The employees allege that Microsoft has assured them that there are positions available for all OpenAI employees, adding weight to their threat to follow Altman to his new venture.
OpenAI now faces the challenge of rebuilding trust within its ranks and deciding the fate of its board members. It remains to be seen how these internal tensions will impact OpenAI’s mission and the future of ChatGPT, the company’s flagship product.
The fallout from Altman’s dismissal serves as a reminder of the complexities and challenges that emerge within technology companies, particularly as they navigate rapid advancements in AI development. As OpenAI grapples with these internal struggles, the industry will closely watch the company’s next steps and how it plans to address the concerns raised by its own employees.
