In a surprising turn of events, OpenAI, the artificial intelligence startup, announced the sudden firing of CEO Sam Altman on November 17. The decision sent shockwaves through the tech world, prompting swift reactions from Altman’s colleagues and stakeholders.
Thursday, Nov. 16:
Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI’s chief scientist, reportedly scheduled a call with Altman, while CTO Mira Murati was informed of the impending firing.
Sam and I are shocked and saddened by what the board did today.
Let us first say thank you to all the incredible people who we have worked with at OpenAI, our customers, our investors, and all of those who have been reaching out.
We too are still trying to figure out exactly…
— Greg Brockman (@gdb) November 18, 2023
Friday, Nov. 17:
Shortly after noon, Greg Brockman, then-OpenAI president, was notified of Altman’s removal from the board of directors but was to retain his role as president. OpenAI publicly cited Altman’s lack of consistent communication with the board as the reason for his termination. Microsoft, OpenAI’s major investor, issued a statement seeking to calm concerns about the impact on their partnership.
Saturday, Nov. 18:
Brockman resigned, triggering a wave of senior executive resignations. OpenAI’s COO, Brad Lightcap, revealed that the decision had caught the entire management by surprise, emphasizing it was not related to financial or safety issues. Altman was reported to be exploring a new AI-related venture.
OpenAI announces leadership transition https://t.co/fFYDLwGXQz
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) November 17, 2023
Sunday, Nov. 19:
Reports emerged that Microsoft was “furious” about Altman’s ousting, pushing the board to reconsider his position. OpenAI’s board “in principle” agreed to bring back Altman and Brockman. Altman posted a photo from OpenAI’s headquarters ahead of the decision deadline. Sources suggested that an apology and a statement clearing Altman of wrongdoing might be necessary for his reinstatement.
After learning today’s news, this is the message I sent to the OpenAI team: https://t.co/NMnG16yFmm pic.twitter.com/8x39P0ejOM
— Greg Brockman (@gdb) November 18, 2023
Microsoft was reportedly eyeing a board seat or observer role without voting power if Altman returned. Key OpenAI executives, including interim CEO Mira Murati, Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon, and COO Brad Lightcap, were pushing for Altman’s return.
first and last time i ever wear one of these pic.twitter.com/u3iKwyWj0a
— Sam Altman (@sama) November 19, 2023
As the tech community awaits further developments, the incident has underscored tensions between the nonprofit and for-profit factions within OpenAI.
