OpenAI has officially announced the reinstatement of Sam Altman as CEO and the appointment of new board members, following a tumultuous period where the majority of its workforce threatened to resign in protest of Altman’s unexpected dismissal.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), OpenAI disclosed the preliminary agreement, outlining the return of Sam Altman as CEO and introducing a reconstituted board consisting of Bret Taylor as Chair, Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo. The company noted that the specific details of the agreement are still being worked out.
❤️🫡❤️ https://t.co/n1x47m5bTZ
— Sam Altman (@sama) November 22, 2023
Confirming the development, Sam Altman expressed his eagerness to rejoin OpenAI. On X, he stated, “I love OpenAI, and everything I’ve done over the past few days has been in service of keeping this team and its mission together. I’m looking forward to returning to OpenAI and building on our strong partnership with Microsoft.”
i love openai, and everything i’ve done over the past few days has been in service of keeping this team and its mission together. when i decided to join msft on sun evening, it was clear that was the best path for me and the team. with the new board and w satya’s support, i’m…
— Sam Altman (@sama) November 22, 2023
Shortly after Altman’s announcement of his return, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who had recently welcomed Altman to the company, endorsed the decision. Nadella mentioned that discussions between them had led to an agreement, considering it a crucial first step in establishing a more stable, well-informed, and effective governance structure within OpenAI.
Altman’s abrupt dismissal from the OpenAI board last Friday, stemming from disagreements on the pace of artificial intelligence development and monetization, initiated negotiations for his return. Talks reached an impasse on Sunday, partly due to pressure from Altman and others for existing board members to step down. In response, the board appointed Emmett Shear, former CEO of Twitch, as the new leader. Meanwhile, Microsoft, OpenAI’s major supporter, announced Altman’s recruitment to lead a new in-house AI team.
This recent leadership shakeup is not the first at OpenAI, which was founded in 2015. Co-founder Elon Musk, also CEO of Tesla, was previously co-chair, and in 2020, other executives departed, forming the competitor Anthropic, emphasizing a greater focus on AI safety.
Altman gained prominence with the launch of ChatGPT last year, sparking increased competition in AI research and development, accompanied by substantial investments in the sector.
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