OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman is set to resume his role as head of the company just days after being dismissed by the board, according to an announcement from the firm. The “in principle” agreement, which includes the appointment of new board members, comes in the wake of staff threats of mass resignations in response to Altman’s unexpected termination.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Altman expressed his anticipation of returning to OpenAI, emphasizing his commitment to the team and its mission. The recent turmoil began when Altman was ousted on Friday, prompting co-founder Greg Brockman’s resignation and causing a state of disarray within the prominent AI company.
The decision to remove Altman was made by three non-employee board members—Adam D’Angelo, Tasha McCauley, and Helen Toner—along with a third co-founder and the company’s chief scientist, Ilya Sutskever. However, on Monday, Sutskever apologized on X and endorsed the staff’s call for the board to reconsider its decision.
Amidst the controversy, Microsoft, OpenAI’s largest investor, extended a job offer to Altman to lead a new advanced AI research team. Subsequently, on Wednesday, OpenAI announced the agreement for Altman’s return in principle, revealing plans to partially reconstitute the board of directors that had initially dismissed him.
Former Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor and former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers are set to join current director Adam D’Angelo, according to OpenAI’s statement. Brockman also confirmed his return to the firm.
Emmett Shear, OpenAI’s interim chief executive, expressed deep satisfaction with Altman’s reinstatement after a “72 very intense hours of work.” He stated on X that Altman’s return was the pathway that maximized safety while doing right by all stakeholders.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella voiced encouragement for the changes to the OpenAI board, viewing them as an essential step toward more stable and effective governance.
However, industry analysts have raised concerns about the potential damage to OpenAI’s reputation. Nick Patience of S&P Global Market Intelligence remarked that the recent episode could have implications for investors and recruitment, emphasizing that OpenAI may not be the same company it was before the upheaval.
The turmoil within OpenAI sparked questions about decision-making in a business of its scale, with just four individuals influencing significant changes. OpenAI, initially a non-profit, transitioned to include a for-profit subsidiary in 2019 while maintaining its original mission of creating safe artificial general intelligence. The recent events have underscored the challenges posed by the company’s unique structure and purpose.
As of now, the board members responsible for Altman’s dismissal have yet to provide an explanation, prompting calls for transparency from figures such as Elon Musk. Despite this, there has been no public clarification on the reasons behind the decision. In response to the news of Altman’s reinstatement and the new board, Helen Toner posted on X, “and now, we all get some sleep.” Source – BBC
