As per one of the company’s co-founders, who claimed he was demoted and subsequently left in the aftermath, the sudden dismissal of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman occurred on Friday, unfolding as abruptly in public.
Greg Brockman, the company’s co-founder and former president, revealed in a blog on X (formerly known as Twitter) that the unexpected management change, which reverberated throughout the artificial intelligence industry, transpired swiftly.
According to CNN correspondent Kara Swisher, who conversed with sources familiar with the situation, tensions arose between Altman and members of the OpenAI board who advocated for a more cautious approach and a more aggressive push in AI development.
In a joint statement attributed to both himself and Altman, as per Brockman’s blog, the sequence of events leading to Altman’s termination was outlined. Brockman mentioned that Ilya Sutskever, another co-founder of OpenAI and its chief scientist, sent Altman a text message on Thursday night, summoning him to a meeting the next day.
During the meeting, Ilya informed Altman of his termination, with the media being notified shortly thereafter. Brockman, excluding himself, noted that the entire board was present during this conversation. Subsequently, Altman was informed of his dismissal and removal from the board, although he would retain his importance to the company. OpenAI released a corresponding blog post on the same day.
Swisher reported that Altman was unaware of the meeting’s agenda until 30 minutes before it commenced. Brockman, upon learning of his own resignation as board chair, announced his departure from the company.
Sutskever’s concerns, exacerbated by OpenAI’s recent developer meeting and the announcement of a tool allowing users to create their versions of ChatGPT, played a pivotal role in the board’s decision, according to Swisher. She mentioned that Sutskever had garnered the board’s support, portraying Altman’s actions as overly aggressive and hasty.
OpenAI’s statement regarding Altman’s termination highlighted his lack of transparency with the board, impeding the organization from fulfilling its obligations.
The swift decision-making process, leaving some of OpenAI’s key partners uninformed, underscored the gravity of the situation. Microsoft, a significant investor in OpenAI, was reportedly unaware of Altman’s dismissal until shortly before the public announcement, without any prior notification.
Altman expressed his fondness for collaborating with talented individuals at OpenAI and hinted at sharing more about his future plans. He also humorously mentioned that the OpenAI Board might pursue him for the value of his stocks if he attempted to flee.
Brockman hinted at a positive outlook for himself and Altman, reassuring that they would fare well and that “greater things are on the way.” CNN has reached out to OpenAI for further comments on the accounts provided by Brockman and Swisher.
