In a surprising turn of events, OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman is set to return as the leader of the organization just days after being dismissed by the board.
The decision to remove Altman led to a series of reactions, including threats of mass resignations from the staff unless he was reinstated.
The agreement for Altman’s return “in principle” involves the appointment of new board members.
Altman expressed his anticipation for returning to OpenAI in a post on social media, stating, “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.”
Last week’s decision to remove Altman resulted in co-founder Greg Brockman’s resignation, causing turmoil within the prominent artificial intelligence company.
The move to reinstate Altman comes after Microsoft, OpenAI’s largest investor and user of its technology, offered him a position leading a new advanced AI research team.
OpenAI has agreed to Altman’s return in principle and plans to partially reconstitute the board of directors that dismissed him, with the addition of new members, including former Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor and former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers.
Altman’s return has been met with enthusiasm from many employees, and the organization aims to move forward with stability and effective governance.
However, some observers suggest that the recent episode may have lasting implications for OpenAI’s reputation and dynamics, potentially affecting investor confidence and recruitment efforts.
