Sam Altman returned as CEO of OpenAI, with Greg Brockman rejoining the team, following a week of turbulent organisational changes and masterful chess plays made by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
In a statement released on Wednesday (Tuesday evening in the US), OpenAI announced the return of Altman as CEO along with a new board of directors, led by Bret Taylor as Chair and notable figures such as Larry Summers and Adam D’Angelo.
“We are collaborating to figure out the details. Thank you so much for your patience through this,” the statement read.
Reacting to the announcement, Altman expressed his dedication to OpenAI and its mission, highlighting his recent decision to collaborate with Microsoft as a strategic move for the team’s future.
With the support of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and the newly formed board, Altman is poised to steer OpenAI towards continued innovation and partnership with Microsoft.
Brockman, a key figure in OpenAI, also announced his return to the organisation.
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Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, a crucial cog in the masterful counter-coup, voiced support for the changes at OpenAI. He acknowledged the critical roles of Altman and Brockman and expressed enthusiasm for the future collaboration between Microsoft and OpenAI.
“We look forward to building on our strong partnership and delivering the value of this next generation of AI to our customers and partners,” he said.
Emmett Shear, the former Twitch CEO who was roped in as Altman’s replacement, expressed satisfaction with the outcome and gladly granted his predecessor a clear path back to his position, suggesting it was “the pathway that maximised safety alongside doing right by all stakeholders involved.”
OpenAI faced challenges last week when its board dismissed Altman over alleged communication issues. However, Shear clarified that the dismissal was not related to safety concerns, despite growing apprehensions about the rapid development of AI technology.
With the new agreement in place, former board members, chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, technology entrepreneur Tasha McCauley, and Georgetown Centre for Security and Emerging Technology’s Helen Toner, have effectively been relieved of their duties.
Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo, the only remaining board member part of the coup, has retained his seat.
