Over 500 OpenAI Employees Demand Resignation of Board and Reinstatement of Former CEO, Threaten Mass Departure
More than 500 employees at OpenAI, out of the total 770, have signed a letter urging the company’s board to step down and reinstate former CEO Sam Altman and former President Greg Brockman. They have warned that if their demands are not met, they will leave the company in mass. Notably, Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI’s chief scientist and a board member who voted against Altman, is among the signers of the letter.
This comes on the same day that Emmett Shear, the newly appointed interim CEO of OpenAI and the former CEO of Twitch, publicly shared his commitment to investigating the process that led to Altman’s departure. Shear acknowledged the damage caused to trust within the company.
According to reports, Microsoft has offered jobs to all the employees who signed the letter. Microsoft has been a significant investor in OpenAI, contributing $13 billion, and subsequently hiring Altman and Brockman after their departure from OpenAI.
The employees who signed the letter claimed that senior leaders at OpenAI had tried to address the concerns raised by the board, but the board failed to provide any evidence to support their allegations. In their letter, they expressed their inability to work with individuals lacking competence, judgment, and care for the company’s mission and employees.
The board, in their statement announcing Altman’s departure, accused him of lacking candor. They continued to stand by this statement, emphasizing a loss of trust over communication as the primary reason for their decision.
The employees’ letter also demanded the addition of two independent board members. Altman attempted to restructure the board but was unsuccessful in his efforts.
The situation at OpenAI remains tense as employees demand the resignation of the board and the reinstatement of Altman and Brockman. It remains to be seen how the company will address these concerns and restore trust among its workforce. This development has drawn attention to the internal challenges faced by OpenAI and the importance of effective leadership in aligning employee interests with the company’s mission.
