2023-11-20 13:56:45
On Friday night the surprise came. In an unexpected gesture, the board of directors of OpenAIthe company that created ChatGPTannounced the sudden dismissal of its co-founder and CEO, Sam Altman.
The decision has meant an earthquake for the technology industry and has plunged the influential startup, leader in the technology sector. artificial intelligence (AI)in a deep crisis.
OpenAI, creator of ChatGPT, fires its CEO, Sam Altman
Here we summarize what has happened in five keys.
1. Surprise dismissal
In a brief and harsh statement, the board of directors of OpenAI announced Altman’s dismissal for lack of trust and accused him of hiding information. “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 his ability to exercise his responsibilities,” reads the post on his corporate blog. “The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI.”
Shortly after, the co-founder Greg Brockman announced that he was resigning as chairman of the board of OpenAI in protest. “Sam and I are shocked and saddened by what the Board did today,” he explained in a message on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter. Other employees upset with Altman’s firing also resigned from their positions.
2. Chaotic weekend
Altman’s dismissal just hours before the New York Stock Exchange closed has opened the door to a chaotic weekend. And the board’s decision was made without informing either the investors or the employees of OpenAI. Even Microsoftmain partner of the company with a investment more than 11,000 million, I was going blindly. According to ‘Axios’, the management of the computer giant was informed just one minute before the dismissal statement was made public.
This way of proceeding generated a lot of rejection among both investors and employees, who protested on Saturday and Sunday to ask for Altman’s reinstatement. The pressure led to negotiations in which it was proposed to make changes to the OpenAI board of directors to include new figures such as Brian Cheskymanaging director of Airbnb, the Sheryl Sandberg, former chief operating officer of Facebook, according to ‘The Wall Street Journal’. However, the board stood by its decision to fire Altman.
3. Why have you been fired?
The management of OpenAI has opted for a very unusual procedure. That, added to the lack of detailed explanations, leads experts to think that behind Altman’s dismissal there is a much bigger problem than reported. During the first hours, several American media reported that it could be an internal conflict between managers who wanted to go faster to obtain more benefits, with Altman at the helm, and those who were betting on a safer development of the company. IA.
However, ‘The Washington Post’ points out that it would not be about that or a decision related to OpenAI products, but rather a personal matter. “Given that Altman has talent, power and is so well-liked, opposing him was a challenge,” an inside source explained. Following the launch of ChatGPT, Altman had become one of the most influential figures on AI regulation, leading him to meet regularly with senior political leaders. His supporters within OpenAI describe his firing as a “coup.”
4. What about Altman?
On Saturday morning, the French Minister of Digital Affairs, Jean-Noel Barrot, said that Altman, “his team and his talents are welcome in France.” However, the American businessman and investor has ended up signing for Microsoft. This Monday, his executive director, Satya Nadellahas announced that both he and Brockman will join the computing giant to lead a new research team in advanced AI.
5. Who runs OpenAI now?
In the statement issued on Friday, the OpenAI board of directors announced that the engineer Mira Murati, the company’s current chief technology officer and promoter of ChatGPT, would take Altman’s position as interim CEO. This Sunday, it was announced that the position will be filled by Emmett Shearco-founder of the video platform Twitch.
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