Sam Altman is resigning from his post as CEO of OpenAI, as announced by the company on Friday. The decision follows a comprehensive review conducted by the board of directors at OpenAI, the creator of the widely used conversational AI, ChatGPT.
In a statement, OpenAI explained, “Mr. Altman’s departure comes after a thoughtful review process by the board, which determined that he lacked consistent transparency in his communications with the board, impeding its ability to fulfill its responsibilities. The board has lost confidence in his capacity to continue leading OpenAI.”
The current Chief Technology Officer, Mira Murati, will assume the role of CEO on an interim basis, according to OpenAI.
Altman expressed his sentiments about leaving OpenAI, stating, “I loved my time at OpenAI; it was transformative for me personally and, hopefully, for the world a little bit. Most of all, I loved working with such talented people.” He hinted at providing more details about his future plans at a later time.
i loved my time at openai. it was transformative for me personally, and hopefully the world a little bit. most of all i loved working with such talented people.
— Sam Altman (@sama) November 17, 2023
will have more to say about what’s next later.
🫡
Following Altman’s departure, Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s president and co-founder, announced his resignation in response to the day’s developments. In a message to the OpenAI team, shared on X, Brockman conveyed, “Genuinely wishing you all nothing but the best. I continue to believe in the mission of creating safe AGI that benefits all of humanity.”
Originally established as a non-profit organization in 2015, OpenAI gained prominence with the public release of ChatGPT a year ago, accumulating over 100 million weekly users, according to Altman’s announcement earlier this month.
Simultaneously, the company has experienced substantial growth. As of October, OpenAI was on track to generate over $1 billion in revenue annually through the sale of its AI products, as reported by The Information.
In January, Microsoft disclosed a $10 billion investment in OpenAI, further solidifying the enduring partnership between the two entities, which commenced with a $1 billion investment four years prior. Microsoft’s search engine, Bing, provides users with access to ChatGPT.
Microsoft, a major investor in OpenAI, has assured continued collaboration with the company. A statement from Microsoft spokesperson Frank Shaw affirmed, “We have a long-term partnership with OpenAI, and Microsoft remains committed to Mira and their team as we bring this next era of AI to our customers,” echoing similar sentiments expressed by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on X.
Back in March, Altman emphasized the potential of AI to significantly enhance people’s lives while also acknowledging the associated risks. He cautioned, “We’ve got to be careful here. I think people should be happy that we are a little bit scared of this.”
In May, Altman testified before Congress, delivering a similarly cautious message regarding AI products, including the latest iteration of ChatGPT known as GPT-4. He urged lawmakers to implement regulations on AI, stating, “GPT-4 is more likely to respond helpfully and truthfully, and refuse harmful requests, than any other widely deployed model of similar capability.
However, we think that regulatory intervention by governments will be critical to mitigate the risks of increasingly powerful models,” proposing the adoption of licenses or safety requirements for the operation of AI models.
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