Sam Altman, co-founder of OpenAI, will return as the company’s CEO after being fired by the board, a decision that caused upheaval within the organization. The agreement “in principle” also involves the appointment of new board members.
Altman expressed his excitement about rejoining OpenAI and reaffirmed his commitment to the company’s mission. Last week, the board’s decision to remove Altman led to co-founder Greg Brockman’s resignation, creating chaos within the prominent artificial intelligence (AI) company.
Initially, the decision to remove Altman was made by three non-employee board members and another co-founder, Ilya Sutskever. However, Sutskever later apologized and supported the staff’s call to reverse the decision. Microsoft, OpenAI’s largest investor and technology partner, offered Altman a job leading a new advanced AI research team.
On Wednesday, OpenAI announced that it had agreed in principle to Altman’s return and would partly reconstitute the board of directors that had dismissed him. New board members include former Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor and former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers.
Employees at OpenAI have expressed enthusiasm about the development and the company’s united culture. However, some experts believe the episode may have damaged OpenAI’s reputation and could have implications for potential investors and recruitment.
OpenAI has become a crucial player in the AI industry, with many businesses and projects relying on its technology. Despite the recent turmoil, some partners like Be My Eyes have praised OpenAI’s commitment to accessibility, emphasizing their loyalty to the company.