Sam Altman has resumed his role as the CEO of OpenAI following a turbulent weekend. The previous leadership that ousted Altman has been replaced by three new committee members.
The current composition of OpenAI’s board is undergoing changes, with discussions in progress to include representation from Microsoft and other key investors. Microsoft, a significant investor in OpenAI, has shown interest in reshaping the board to enhance governance.
Unlike the previous board dominated by academics and scientists, the new directors bring strong backgrounds in business and technology to OpenAI.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella had advocated for leadership changes at OpenAI earlier this year. He expressed optimism about the revamped board in a blog post on X, highlighting the importance of this transition for the organization’s governance.
Noteworthy investors like Microsoft, Sequoia Capital, Thrive Capital, and Tiger Global, who do not hold board seats, have supported Altman’s reinstatement, as per CNBC reports.
The latest additions to the OpenAI committee are as follows:
On June 15, 2022, Bret Taylor, the co-CEO of Amazon, is slated to speak at the Viva Technology Conference in Paris.
Bret Taylor, Board Chairman
Bret Taylor, currently a board member at Shopify, previously served as the co-CEO of Salesforce and the final board chair of Twitter before its acquisition by Elon Musk. He co-founded Quip, later acquired by Salesforce, where he assumed the role of co-CEO. Taylor, a former Google executive, ventured into his artificial intelligence startup in February.
Despite CNBC’s attempts to reach out to Taylor for comments, no response has been received to date.
Larry Summers at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Larry Summers
Larry Summers, an economist with extensive experience, served as Treasury secretary during the Clinton administration and as the president of Harvard University. He also led the National Economic Council during the Global Financial Crisis in the Obama administration.
Given OpenAI’s regulatory challenges and political scrutiny, Summers’ connections in Washington could be advantageous for the organization. Summers praised OpenAI’s ChatGPT in a recent interview, drawing parallels between technological advancements and historical innovations.
Adam D’Angelo
Adam D’Angelo, the CEO of Quora, remains the only member from the previous OpenAI board. He played a crucial role in the negotiations leading to Altman’s reinstatement. With a background at Meta as CTO, D’Angelo has refrained from public statements since Altman’s removal.
Reports suggesting Altman’s lack of transparency as the reason for his removal have not been addressed by D’Angelo publicly.
The following individuals are no longer part of the OpenAI board:
On September 27, 2023, Helen Toner, Director of Strategy and Foundational Research Grants at Georgetown’s CSET, will deliver a keynote address at the Vox Media Code Conference in Dana Point, California.
Helen Toner
Helen Toner, a researcher and director at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, previously advised on AI policy at Open Philanthropy. Her departure was a result of her critique of OpenAI’s ChatGPT launch, which conflicted with Altman’s views.
Tasha McCauley at the 2014 Kairos Global Summit in Dana Point, California.
Tasha McCauley
Tasha McCauley, an adjunct senior management scientist at Rand Corporation and former CEO of GeoSim Systems, is no longer on the board. She is known for her marriage to actor and director Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Ilya Sutskever speaking at Tel Aviv University.
Ilya Sutskever
Ilya Sutskever, the co-founder and Chief Scientist of OpenAI, initially supported Altman’s removal but later switched sides. Despite his removal from the board, his executive role at OpenAI remains unchanged.
Future Outlook:
Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI and the mastermind behind ChatGPT, is scheduled to participate in a panel discussion at the Technical University of Munich (TUM).
Reports indicate Altman’s efforts to expand OpenAI’s board of directors, hinting at a potential increase in board size in the near future.
Microsoft aims for a more extensive and skilled board for OpenAI, although the organization’s structure as a non-profit with capped profits remains unaltered.
