It’s been a tumultuous weekend for OpenAI, one of the world’s leading AI firms, after CEO and co-founder Sam Altman was fired by the board without explanation.
It’s been a tumultuous weekend for OpenAI, one of the world’s leading AI firms, after CEO and co-founder Sam Altman was fired by the nonprofit’s board without explanation.
On 17 November, OpenAI released a blog post in which it stated that Sam Altman would be departing as the firm’s CEO and as a board member with immediate effect. It stated that Mira Murati, CTO at OpenAI, would assume the executive role with immediate effect on an interim basis.
“Mr. Altman’s departure follows a deliberative review process by the board, which concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities,” the post read.
“The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI.”
As CEO, Altman has become the face of generative AI for many in the sector and has led public conversation on AI hallucinations and sparred with the EU over AI regulations. His abrupt departure sparked wild speculation across social media in the immediate aftermath, with OpenAI giving no clear explanation as to why he was sacked.
The post also announced that OpenAI president Greg Brockman would step down as chairman of the board but retain his role at the firm. The next day, Brockman made a post on X in which he announced that he had quit following the news of Altman being forced out.
Brockman subsequently claimed that Altman had been asked to join a call at midday on Friday in which he was fired and that he had joined a separate call shortly afterward where he was told he would be removed from the board.
Some reports stated that Altman could immediately return to his role through negotiations with the board, and on Sunday he posted an image of himself inside OpenAI offices on X. But by Monday morning it was announced that Emmett Shear, formerly CEO of streaming platform Twitch, would become OpenAI’s new interim CEO.
It is not clear whether this was the result of negotiations to return Altman to his role fell through, or whether that option was never on the table.
But the blink-and-you-’ll-miss-it tenure of Murati as interim CEO hints at a disorder at the highest levels of the firm that will continue to cause resignations and difficulties in the coming days and weeks.
Above all else, OpenAI has been left in a compromising position. In the time between the first announcement employees at the firm have signaled their displeasure with the way Altman’s forced resignation was handled and an exodus like that suffered by X (formerly Twitter) post-Musk takeover is not out of the question.
