Sam Altman is back to manage OpenAI, only days after his unexpected removal as CEO of the firm, the business said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, November 22. His eviction last week caused a staff revolt that threatened to damage what has been the top company in the emerging artificial intelligence (AI) field.
OpenAI announced in a post on X that its initial board will consist of Bret Taylor, the former chair of Twitter's board before the acquisition by Elon Musk, Larry Summers, the former United States treasury secretary, and Adam D'Angelo, the CEO of Quora and one of the trustees who voted to oust Altman.
"We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO ... We are collaborating to figure out the details. Thank you so much for your patience through this," the statement read.
We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman to return to OpenAI as CEO with a new initial board of Bret Taylor (Chair), Larry Summers, and Adam D'Angelo.
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) November 22, 2023
We are collaborating to figure out the details. Thank you so much for your patience through this.
New Board Members Revealed
With Altman back at work, the AI firm's operations can finally return to normal after almost a week of upheaval.
His dismissal last Friday, November 17, stunned many in the tech world, and it even alarmed OpenAI's investors and workers, who quickly organized a campaign to get him reinstated. Altman decided to join Microsoft on a Sunday night, November 19, but the following day, both he and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella indicated that they would still be open to his returning to OpenAI.
Nearly all of the company's 770 workers threatened to resign in a letter circulated earlier this week if he was not reinstated.
According to The Washington Post, a source familiar with the situation said that under the terms of the latest agreement, Altman will not be allowed to serve on the new board, and the board has agreed to an independent investigation into all aspects of the recent events, including Altman's role.
The sole reason given for firing Altman was that he had been dishonest in his dealings with the board.
Another source acquainted with the situation said that the original board of three will screen and designate a formal board of up to nine members. Board members Ilya Sutskever, Helen Toner, and Tasha McCauley, who joined D'Angelo in seeking Altman's removal, will reportedly resign from their positions, the insider added. This individual also confirmed the departure of Emmett Shear, the temporary CEO appointed to succeed Altman.
Company's Internal Turmoil
OpenAI's internal strife over who should direct the company's future was brought to light by the uproar around Altman's abrupt dismissal.
OpenAI was founded in 2015 as a nonprofit research lab, but under Altman's leadership, the company has raised billions of dollars from companies like Microsoft and venture investors and has begun selling consumer goods. Outside critics and even workers believed the business had abandoned its objective and was acting more like a Big Tech corporation. The initial intention behind it was to provide a more democratic and open alternative to Big Tech.
Altman's return will relieve investors, customers, and staff who worried the boardroom conflict might sink the firm. That would have created an empty space in the AI business, allowing rivals to grow.
