Herald in a new era
After having to walk out of the artificial intelligence firm OpenAI, Sam Altman has returned as CEO, concluding a frenzy of speculation over the company’s future.
The founders of ChatGPT have introduced their new board of directors, which includes Bret Taylor (formerly the co-CEO of Salesforce), Larry Summers (previously the U.S. Treasury Secretary), and Adam D’Angelo. D’Angelo was a member of the board that decided to fire Altman.
The image has been taken from OpenAI’s LinkedIn account where they have made a strong statement in the context of Sam’s return to the company.
The return of Altman may herald a new era for the firm which had long juggled worries among personnel about AI’s risks and its potential for commercialization. We’ve been told that barring any unforeseen paperwork, the arrangement for Altman’s return has been finalized and is now public knowledge.
Let’s Hear From Sam
Altman said on X (formerly Twitter), “Everything I’ve done over the past few days has been in service of keeping this team and its mission together.” “I’m looking forward to returning to open,” Altman wrote late Tuesday night on the X social media site. According to those with knowledge of the discussions, the initial board’s primary responsibility will be to choose and vet a larger board of up to nine members who would reset OpenAI’s governance. Both Microsoft, which has pledged billions to the firm and Altman himself would like a seat on the larger board. CEO Satya Nadella remarked last week on a press tour that the business was done with “surprises.”
The return of Altman is even more unexpected than his unexpected departure last Friday. The non-profit board of OpenAI looked set in its decision to fire Altman; they went through two interim CEOs in three days before deciding to reinstate him. Meanwhile, OpenAI workers rose in protest, saying they would leave the company with Altman and co-founder Brockman and join Microsoft if the board didn’t quit.
Nadella claimed in television appearances earlier this week that he had already indicated to the OpenAI board of directors that Microsoft would be working with Altman and Brockman “either way.” In addition, he didn’t completely rule out the prospect of Altman and Brockman returning to OpenAI and affirmed Microsoft’s continued dedication to the startup, which has gained worldwide attention thanks to its ChatGPT platform in a manner that few technologies have before.
Read: AI and Machine Learning Are Changing Business Forever
What should we expect?
Not only is OpenAI considered by many to be in the lead in the current AI race, but in less than a year it has become the de facto standard upon which hundreds of other firms have built their own. Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI has given a significant boost to the company’s AI initiatives, making it more appealing to a wide range of industries and increasing the optimism of investors on Wall Street.
The previous OpenAI board, consisting of chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, independent director D’Angelo, technology entrepreneur Tasha McCauley, and Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology’s Helen Toner, was subjected to intense public scrutiny for their hasty decision, for which they never provided a full explanation. After becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the previous OpenAI board, several OpenAI investors reportedly began looking into legal action against the board members on Tuesday, as reported by Reuters.
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