No immediate return to OpenAI for Sam Altman as he lands job at Microsoft
A new interim CEO has been named at the company behind leading AI chatbot ChatGPT, with ousted former CEO Sam Altman named to lead a new Microsoft AI team.
Mr. Altman, founder of OpenAI and former CEO, was fired in a shock announcement Friday, as the nonprofit’s board said Mr. Altman “was not always candid in his communications with the board.”
The details of this alleged lack of candor have not been published and the real reason for the dismissal remains unclear.
There was speculation that Mr. Altman could return to the company after posting a photo of himself wearing an OpenAI guest pass on social media platform AI.
Microsoft has invested billions of dollars in OpenAI developing its generative AI model, ChatGPT, which has given millions of people the ability to get their questions answered through artificial intelligence (AI).
Earlier, the New York Times, based on an OpenAI memo, said that OpenAI’s board supported Mr. Altman’s dismissal.
It has been reported that Emmett Shear, who was chief executive of Amazon’s streaming platform Twitch, has been named the new interim CEO.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also confirmed Mr. Shear’s appointment, saying the company was “looking forward to getting to know and working with Emmett Shear and the new OAI leadership team.”
In a statement confirming Mr. Altman’s appointment, Mr. Nadella added that former OpenAI president Greg Brockman would also join him.
Mr. Altman’s departure on Friday led to the resignation of OpenAI presidentGreg Brockman, in support.
Mr. Shear replaces Mira Murati, the company’s chief technology officer, who was named OpenAI’s interim chief executive officer on Friday.
According to online technology website The Information, dozens of OpenAI employees resigned after its chief scientist Ilya Sutskever announced that Mr. Altman would not return.
The briefing says Mr. Sutskever told OpenAI staff that Mr. Altman’s behavior and interactions with the board had undermined the company’s ability to oversee the development of artificial intelligence .
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Mr. Altman said of his departure: “Today was a strange experience in many ways.
“But what’s unexpected is that it’s been a bit like reading your own eulogy while you’re still alive. The outpouring of love is overwhelming.”
