OpenAI board in talks with Sam Altman for possible CEO return
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On Friday, Altman's sudden dismissal threw OpenAI into an ongoing crisis
The OpenAI board is in discussions with Sam Altman to bring him back as CEO, despite his abrupt firing by the board without notice. Altman's return is uncertain as he is "ambivalent" about it and seeks significant governance changes. A missed deadline for board resignations raises the possibility of Altman leaving to start a new company, potentially taking OpenAI staffers with him. His swift talks with the company post-ouster suggest OpenAI's precarious state, with Greg Brockman, the president and former board chairman, already resigning and contemplating a new venture. More senior researchers have also departed, casting further uncertainty over the organization.
OpenAI's largest investor, Microsoft, has expressed commitment to their partnership but wasn't consulted on Altman's removal, leaving the future of OpenAI uncertain during a period of competition in the AI field. The current board, led by Ilya Sutskever and consisting of figures like Adam D’Angelo and Tasha McCauley, aims to ensure the development of "broadly beneficial" artificial general intelligence (AGI). Sutskever's role in Altman's removal hints at a power struggle between the research and product facets of the company.