In a sudden and surprising turn of events, Sam Altman has been ousted as CEO of OpenAI, the prominent AI chatbot developer, and the company’s board has indicated a lack of confidence in his ability to lead the organization.
The decision to remove Altman came after a thorough review process the board, which revealed that he had not been consistently forthcoming in his communications with the board, impeding its ability to fulfill its obligations. Mira Murati, the Chief Technology Officer, has been appointed as the interim CEO, and the company will begin the search for a permanent successor to the CEO position.
In response to his departure, Altman shared his gratitude for his time at OpenAI and hinted at future plans in a post on X. Outside of OpenAI, Altman has been involved in raising a venture capital fund to focus on “hard tech,” as reported Semafor.
Additionally, Greg Brockman, the President and co-founder of OpenAI, has stepped down as chairman of the board. However, he remains with the company. Despite these changes, Microsoft, a major investor in OpenAI, has confirmed that it will continue its partnership with the company and expressed its commitment to working with the new leadership.
Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft, underscored the company’s ongoing agreement with OpenAI and reaffirmed the commitment to delivering the benefits of AI technology to the world.
Mira Murati, who has been a member of OpenAI’s leadership team for five years, is well-equipped to lead the company based on her expertise, understanding of the company’s values, and responsibility for the company’s research, product, and safety functions.
The board of directors expressed gratitude for Altman’s contributions to the founding and growth of OpenAI but emphasized the need for new leadership as the company moves forward.