Around two weeks after his dismissal, Sam Altman is officially CEO of OpenAI again. Major investor Microsoft has also been given a non-voting observer seat on the board.
Sam Altman is once again CEO of OpenAI. This is according to an official announcement from the company. Around two weeks after his surprising dismissal by the board of directors, the drama surrounding the ChatGPT boss has apparently come to an end.
OpenAI had three different CEOs in the space of three days. Altman, meanwhile, had reportedly already been hired by Microsoft, only to return. However, there have also been changes to the board that dismissed him.
Official: Sam Altman is CEO of OpenAI again
After chaotic days at OpenAI, it was announced on November 22, 2023 that Sam Altman would be returning as CEO. At the time, there was talk of an agreement in principle and that only details still needed to be clarified. This has now apparently been achieved. Altman writes:
I am returning to OpenAI as CEO. Mira [Murati: editor’s note] will return to her role as CTO. I am very grateful for the hard work everyone has done in an unclear and unprecedented situation, and I believe our resilience and spirit set us apart in the industry.
Microsoft gets seat on OpenAI board
For now, the new OpenAI Board consists of Chairman Bret Taylor, Larry Summers and Adam D’Angelo. This means that three of the four board members who had decided to dismiss Sam Altman are no longer represented. D’Angelo, who is the only one remaining from the previous board, will represent the board.
According to Altman, major investor Microsoft will also be given a seat on the new supervisory board. Although the company is not entitled to vote, it will gain more insight in an observer position.
Sam Altman’s declared aim is to develop what is known as Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). This is an AI model that, unlike previous systems, should be able to independently develop “thoughts” that differ from human ones.
