OpenAI’s former CEO, Sam Altman, has joined Microsoft, marking a significant development in the tech world.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella expressed excitement about meeting Emmett Shear and OpenAI’s new leadership team, affirming Microsoft’s unwavering commitment to their partnership on social media platform X.
According to Reuters, insiders revealed that Shear is now the interim CEO, leaving investors and employees puzzled by the unexpected removal of former CEO Sam Altman. Concerns about a potential talent exodus and the impact on an $86 billion share sale have emerged.
Nadella shared that Altman would lead a new advanced AI research team at Microsoft. Reports suggested Altman was in talks about a possible return to OpenAI, contemplating changes to the company’s governance. Greg Brockman, who resigned as chairman during the management reshuffle, also joined Microsoft, as per Nadella.
Following an invitation from interim CEO Mira Murati, Altman and Brockman participated in meetings at OpenAI’s headquarters. Altman posted an image on platform X wearing an OpenAI guest badge, commenting it would be the “first and last time.” He reshared Nadella’s message on X, saying “the mission continues.”
Emmett Shear, co-founder of Twitch, was appointed interim CEO after stepping down from the Amazon.com-owned live video streaming platform. Brockman resigned in response to Altman’s firing on Friday, catching many employees off guard.
The abrupt CEO change led to the departure of several researchers, including Szymon Sidor, as confirmed by two individuals. The Information reported that distraught employees left OpenAI headquarters in San Francisco after Shear’s appointment was internally announced. Numerous staff members reportedly declared their resignations on Sunday night.
OpenAI gained prominence a year ago with the release of ChatGPT, sparking a surge in interest in generative AI. The chatbot quickly became one of the world’s fastest-growing software applications.
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