The tech world has been utterly shocked today to learn that Sam Altman has been removed as the leader of AI firm OpenAI.
The board of the company stated that it lost confidence in his leadership skills. They stated Altman wasn’t fully honest in his communications. And this in turn hindered their responsibilities.
This shock announcement came soon after the OpenAI development conference.
Altman, aged 38, co-founded OpenAI, known for the ChatGPT bot. He became a notable figure in AI, especially over 2023.
The board stated that it appreciated Altman’s work but felt a change in leadership was needed. They cited his communication issues as a key reason. The specifics of these issues are unknown.
However the speculation is that Altman is pushing the commercialization of ChatGPT functionality too fast, without proper considerations of the dangers. This is specifically linked to his stating that GPTs can now be developed by users.
Altman shared his positive experience at OpenAI on social media. Greg Brockman, a co-founder, described the events. They happened quickly over a number of video calls. Brockman was also removed from the board and later resigned in solidarity. Both men were shocked and confused by the sudden decision.
The board’s fast decision to remove Altman raises many questions. OpenAI is successful, with ChatGPT being widely used. Altman is also a leading voice in AI. He spoke at a US Congress hearing and the first AI Safety Summit.
Industry leaders have shown support for Altman. Former Google boss Eric Schmidt praised him on social media. Altman’s future plans are widely anticipated. He hasn’t yet discussed his OpenAI departure in detail. He warned the board against disputes over his shares.
ChatGPT now accesses real-time information. Following Altman’s departure, Brockman also left OpenAI. He expressed pride in their achievements and continues to support their mission. OpenAI, founded in 2015 as a non-profit, partnered with Microsoft in 2019. It was recently valued at over $80 billion.
The board, including OpenAI’s chief scientist and others, don’t own shares. Their main role is to support OpenAI’s mission. Mira Murati is now the interim chief. ChatGPT is popular for its human-like responses. It’s used for work and study, causing concerns like academic plagiarism.
OpenAI faces lawsuits for using writers’ work without permission. Elon Musk, another co-founder, criticized its departure from non-profit origins.
