Share this @internewscast.com

Sam Altman is back as the chief executive of OpenAI.

OpenAI, the hot tech startup behind ChatGPT, said late Tuesday that Altman and the board of the nonprofit group that oversees the company came to an agreement in principle for Altman to return as CEO with a new board to replace the one that ousted him Friday.

Altman’s return should quell what was an all-out revolt by OpenAI employees against his removal and mark the beginning of the end of one of the most-watched corporate sagas in tech history.

The ordeal began Friday, when the board of the nonprofit group that oversees OpenAI said it had removed Altman as CEO and “concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities.”

Over the next week, OpenAI turned into some combination of “Succession” and “Silicon Valley.” The company appointed two different interim CEOs, Altman appeared to have joined Microsoft, only for that announcement to be walked back, deadlines for negotiations about Altman’s return reportedly came and went, and employees threatened to resign en masse.

OpenAI said on X that its new board would be constituted with three initial members: former Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor, former White House adviser and Harvard University President Larry Summers and Adam D’Angelo, the CEO of the website Quora and a former early Facebook employee. 

“We are collaborating to figure out the details. Thank you so much for your patience through this,” the company said on X in an unsigned post. 

D’Angelo already was a member of the OpenAI board, but other previous board members will not remain. The outgoing members include tech entrepreneur Tasha McCauley, OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever and Helen Toner, director of strategy and foundational research grants at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology’s Helen Toner.

The board members never gave specific details behind their decision to remove Altman as CEO, other than a statement Friday that said he “was not consistently candid in his communications with the board.” They did not elaborate on how Altman had failed to be candid.

On Saturday, Brad Lightcap, OpenAI’s chief operating officer, sent a memo to OpenAI employees calling Altman’s ouster a surprise.

“We can say definitively that the board’s decision was not made in response to malfeasance or anything related to our financial, business, safety, or security/privacy practices,” he wrote.

On Tuesday, The New York Times reported that the board had been bickering for more than a year on questions about the safe development of AI, including how quickly to roll out the technology while ensuring humans do not lose control of it. Altman was on the side of moving quickly, the newspaper reported.

Altman said in a separate statement on X that he was happy to return as CEO.

“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,” he wrote, eschewing traditional punctuation. 

Altman added that, with the new board in place, he was “looking forward to returning” and “building on our strong partnership” with Microsoft. OpenAI and Microsoft have a longstanding partnership, with Microsoft having invested in the startup and OpenAI using Microsoft’s cloud computing services.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a post on X that Microsoft is “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.” 

Other OpenAI executives celebrated the decision.

Mira Murati, who was briefly interim CEO after Altman’s ouster, reposted the OpenAI announcement late Tuesday with a simple blue heart emoji. Greg Brockman, the startup’s president and a co-founder, wrote on X, “Returning to OpenAI & getting back to coding tonight.” 

But the future of the company and its peculiar governance structure remain in some doubt.

OpenAI was started as a nonprofit organization that later added a for-profit subsidiary that was still overseen by the nonprofit group’s board. That structure meant the board members of the nonprofit group had ultimate say with no further oversight from other interested parties, such as shareholders.

Altman, 38, has been a fixture of San Francisco’s tech scene for a decade as an investor, startup adviser and most recently as the CEO of the industry’s hottest startup. That made him increasingly a household name outside the tech sector.

After his sudden ouster Friday, other high-profile tech figures such as former Google CEO Eric Schmidt quickly came to his defense. Within a few days, more than 740 of OpenAI’s 770 employees had signed a letter to the startup’s board asking for Altman’s return. 

Elon Musk, the tech billionaire who was among the first donors to OpenAI when it was a nonprofit, said that Altman’s return was better than one alternative: Altman and most of OpenAI’s employees going to work for Microsoft.

“Less concentration of power,” Musk wrote.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Chicago immigration activity: Federal agents detain worker in Old Irving Park, appear to use tear gas; fear disrupts local parade

Federal Agents Detain Worker in Old Irving Park, Tear Gas Suspected; Local Parade Plunged into Chaos in Chicago

CHICAGO (WLS) — On Saturday, federal agents were once again active on…
Trump administration announces requirements to pass US citizenship test have increased

Breaking: Trump Administration Tightens US Citizenship Test – What You Need to Know

Aspirants are now required to correctly answer 12 out of 20 questions…
Exclusive -- Trump-Endorsed Massie Challenger Ed Gallrein: Massie 'Not a Statesman'

Trump-Backed Ed Gallrein Criticizes Incumbent Massie, Labels Him as Lacking Statesmanship

During a recent appearance on News Saturday, Ed Gallrein, a seasoned farmer…
Charlie Kirk inspires Gen Z to trade parties for prayer as college frats spark faith revival, expert says

Charlie Kirk Ignites Faith Revival: Gen Z Swaps College Parties for Prayer as Fraternities Embrace Spiritual Awakening

Fraternity houses across the United States are witnessing a shift from party…
University drops job posting after DEI requirement exposed, professor says ‘I would not be hired’ today

University Withdraws Job Listing Amid DEI Controversy: Professor Reveals Why He Wouldn’t Be Hired Today

This article is part of Fox News Digital’s investigative series Campus Radicals.…
Sea & Sky Air Show powers through impacts from government shutdown, windy conditions

Sea & Sky Air Show Triumphs Over Government Shutdown and Challenging Winds

The Sea and Sky Air Show at Jacksonville Beach wrapped up earlier…
Independent NJ candidate’s martial arts theatrics shakes up township meeting

Martial Arts Moves by Independent NJ Candidate Stir Excitement at Township Meeting

It felt less like a conventional town hall meeting and more akin…
Nearly 80K sauna blankets recalled after dozens of burn injuries reported

Urgent Recall Alert: Over 80,000 Sauna Blankets Recalled Due to Burn Injury Risks

In an important safety notice, Lifepro Fitness has announced the recall of…
The Beatles' Ringo Starr, 85, on reuniting with Paul McCartney, the mantra he lives by and what he said to Prince William

Ringo Starr, 85, Shares Insights on Reuniting with Paul McCartney, His Life’s Mantra, and a Memorable Exchange with Prince William

LOS ANGELES — Ringo Starr, the iconic drummer of The Beatles, is…
Heidi Klum drops 'cheeky' new Halloween costume hint

Heidi Klum Teases Fans with Playful Halloween Costume Preview: What to Expect This Year

Heidi Klum might be giving her fans a glimpse of her renowned…
FBI Director Kash Patel plans travel to China in fentanyl crackdown effort

FBI Director Kash Patel to Visit China in Strategic Move to Combat Fentanyl Crisis

FBI Director Kash Patel is scheduled to travel to China next month,…
Trump pick for religious freedom envoy visits Holy Land, cites strong US-Israel bond

Trump’s Religious Freedom Envoy Highlights Robust US-Israel Ties During Holy Land Visit

During his recent visit to Israel, Ambassador-Designate for International Religious Freedom, Mark…