Sam Altman is back at OpenAI as CEO, the AI startup announced on Wednesday after it reached an agreement with the ousted founder who joined Microsoft two days ago.
OpenAI board has been reshuffled with Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever, former GeoSim Systems CEO Tasha McCauley and Helen Toner, the director of strategy at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology not finding a place in the new body.
Altman posted on X, "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 looking forward to returning to openai, and building on our strong partnership with msft."
Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo is the only member to retain his spot in the new board that will also have Bret Taylor, formerly co-CEO of Salesforce, and Larry Summers, former U.S. Treasury Secretary.
This initial board is tasked with appoint a new formal board of up to nine people, according to Verge, citing sources. Microsoft and Altman will likely find a spot in the formal board, the report said. Other reports suggested that former OpenAI President Greg Brockman who resigned after he was removed from the board might also be back in the formal board.
Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, the biggest backer of OpenAI with 49 per cent stake, said, "We are encouraged by the changes to the OpenAI board. We believe this is a first essential step on a path to more stable, well-informed, and effective governance. Sam, Greg, and I have talked and agreed they have a key role to play along with the OAI leadership team in ensuring OAI continues to thrive and build on its mission. We look forward to building on our strong partnership and delivering the value of this next generation of AI to our customers and partners."
Twitch co-founder Emmett Shear, who was appointed interim CEO recently, welcomed Altman's return. Taking to X, he posted, "I am deeply pleased by this result, after ~72 very intense hours of work. Coming into OpenAI, I wasn’t sure what the right path would be. This was the pathway that maximized safety alongside doing right by all stakeholders involved. I’m glad to have been a part of the solution."
