AI: Altman Back at the Helm of OpenAI (and More)

After a week of twists and turns, Sam Altman is back as the head of OpenAI, the AI research company. Sam Altman, the key figure of ChatGPT, was fired by OpenAI’s board on November 17th. A few hours later, he landed a position at Microsoft. But on November 21st, the announcement of his return to OpenAI surprised many. More details below!

i love openai, and everything i’ve done over the past few days has been in service of keeping this team and its mission together. when i decided to join msft on sun evening, it was clear that was the best path for me and the team. with the new board and w satya’s support, i’m…

— Sam Altman (@sama) November 22, 2023

An unexpected (or not) return of Sam Altman as the head of the AI company

Altman’s return is a surprise, both for the employees of OpenAI and the world of AI. He had been fired for reasons that were never clearly explained. Some suggested disagreements between Altman and the board over the direction of the AI company.

The day after the firing, OpenAI’s investors started pressuring for Altman’s return. They felt his departure would be a major loss for the company, which is one of the leading pioneers in the field of AI.

Over the weekend, discussions between Altman and the board intensified. On November 21st, OpenAI then announces that Altman had agreed to return as head of the AI company.

A strong comeback coupled with a governance change

Altman’s comeback is accompanied by a governance change, as OpenAI specifies in its statement. The board of directors has been reshuffled and is now composed of:

• Bret Taylor (President),
• Larry Summers,
• Adam D’Angelo.

Taylor is a former executive at Google. He is currently the president of Salesforce. Summers is an economist and former US Treasury Secretary. D’Angelo is the founder of Quora.

This new board is supposed to bring more stability and transparency to OpenAI. It is also meant to allow Altman to continue his mission: to make AI beneficial for humanity.

Altman’s return is good news for OpenAI and for the future of AI. He is now at the helm of a more stable and better-governed company, with the means to continue his mission.