Microsoft snapped up Sam Altman and another architect of OpenAI for a new venture after their sudden departures , leaving the newly installed CEO of the ChatGPT maker to paper over tensions by vowing to investigate AltmanB次元官网网址檚 firing.
The developments Monday come after a weekend of drama and speculation about how the power dynamics would shake out at OpenAI, whose chatbot kicked off the by producing human-like text, images, video and music.
It ended with former Twitch leader Emmett Shear taking over as OpenAIB次元官网网址檚 interim chief executive and Microsoft announcing it was hiring Altman and OpenAI co-founder and former President Greg Brockman to lead MicrosoftB次元官网网址檚 new advanced AI research team.
Despite the rift between the key players behind ChatGPT and the company they helped build, both Shear and Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella said they are committed to their partnership.
in the startup and helped provide the computing power to run its AI systems. , formerly known as Twitter, that he was B次元官网网址渆xtremely excitedB次元官网网址� to bring on the former executives of OpenAI and looked B次元官网网址渇orward to getting to knowB次元官网网址� Shear and the rest of the management team.
In a reply on X, Altman said B次元官网网址渢he mission continues,B次元官网网址� while Brockman posted, B次元官网网址淲e are going to build something new & it will be incredible.B次元官网网址�
OpenAI said Friday that Altman was pushed out after a review found he was B次元官网网址渘ot consistently candid in his communicationsB次元官网网址� with the board of directors, which had lost confidence in his ability to lead the company.
, Shear said he would hire an independent investigator to look into what led up to AltmanB次元官网网址檚 ouster and write a report within 30 days.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 clear that the process and communications around SamB次元官网网址檚 removal has been handled very badly, which has seriously damaged our trust,B次元官网网址� wrote Shear, who co-founded Twitch, an Amazon-owned livestreaming service popular with video gamers.
He said he also plans in the next month to B次元官网网址渞eform the management and leadership team in light of recent departures into an effective forceB次元官网网址� and speak with employees, investors and customers.
After that, Shear said he would B次元官网网址渄rive changes in the organization,B次元官网网址� including B次元官网网址渟ignificant governance changes if necessary.B次元官网网址� He noted that the reason behind the board removing Altman was not a B次元官网网址渟pecific disagreement on safety,B次元官网网址� a likely reference to the debates that have swirled around OpenAIB次元官网网址檚 mission to safely build AI that is B次元官网网址済enerally smarter than humans.B次元官网网址�
OpenAI last week declined to answer questions on what AltmanB次元官网网址檚 alleged lack of candor was about. Its statement said his behavior was hindering the boardB次元官网网址檚 ability to exercise its responsibilities. But a key driver of FridayB次元官网网址檚 shakeup, OpenAIB次元官网网址檚 co-founder, chief scientist and board member Ilya Sutskever, posted regrets on the situation to X on Monday: B次元官网网址淚 deeply regret my participation in the boardB次元官网网址檚 actions. I never intended to harm OpenAI. I love everything weB次元官网网址檝e built together and I will do everything I can to reunite the company.B次元官网网址�
OpenAI didnB次元官网网址檛 reply to emails Monday seeking comment. A Microsoft representative said the company would not be commenting beyond its CEOB次元官网网址檚 statement.
After Altman was pushed out Friday, he stirred speculation that he might be coming back into the fold in a series of tweets. He posted a photo of himself with an OpenAI guest pass on Sunday, saying this is B次元官网网址渇irst and last time i ever wear one of these.B次元官网网址�
Hours earlier, he tweeted, B次元官网网址渋 love the openai team so much,B次元官网网址� which drew heart replies from Brockman, who quit after Altman was fired, and Mira Murati, OpenAIB次元官网网址檚 who was initially named as interim CEO.
ItB次元官网网址檚 not clear what transpired between the announcement of MuratiB次元官网网址檚 interim role Friday and ShearB次元官网网址檚 hiring, though she was among several employees on Monday who tweeted, B次元官网网址淥penAI is nothing without its people.B次元官网网址� Altman replied to many with heart emojis.
One of OpenAIB次元官网网址檚 safety-focused researchers, Jan Leike, called on the OpenAI board to resign Monday, saying he had been working all weekend with the companyB次元官网网址檚 leadership team B次元官网网址渢o help with this crisis.B次元官网网址� The board consists of Sutskever, Quora CEO Adam DB次元官网网址橝ngelo, tech entrepreneur Tasha McCauley and Helen Toner of the Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology.
Shear said he stepped down as Twitch CEO because of the birth of his now-9-month-old son but B次元官网网址渢ook this job because I believe that OpenAI is one of the most important companies currently in existence.B次元官网网址�
His beliefs on the future of AI came up on a podcast in June. Shear said heB次元官网网址檚 generally an optimist about technology but has serious concerns about the path of artificial intelligence toward building something B次元官网网址渁 lot smarter than usB次元官网网址� that sets itself on a .
B次元官网网址淚f there is a world where we survive B次元官网网址� where we build an AI thatB次元官网网址檚 smarter than humans and survive it, itB次元官网网址檚 going to be because we built smaller AIs than that, and we actually had as many smart people as we can working on that, and taking the problem seriously,B次元官网网址� Shear said in June.
ItB次元官网网址檚 an issue that Altman consistently faced since he helped catapult ChatGPT to global fame. In the past year, he has become Silicon ValleyB次元官网网址檚 most sought-after voice on the promise and potential .
to meet with government officials earlier this year, drawing big crowds at public events as he discussed both the risks of AI and attempts to .
Altman posted Friday on X that B次元官网网址渋 loved my time at openaiB次元官网网址� and later called his ouster a B次元官网网址渨eird experience.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚f Microsoft lost Altman he could have gone to Amazon, Google, Apple, or a host of other tech companies craving to get the face of AI globally in their doors,B次元官网网址� Daniel Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities, said in a research note.
Microsoft is now in an even stronger position on AI, Ives said. Its shares rose nearly 2% before the opening bell and were nearing an all-time high Monday.
The Associated Press and OpenAI have a allowing OpenAI access to part of the APB次元官网网址檚 text archives.
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AP writer Brian P. D. Hannon contributed from Bangkok.
Courtney Bonnell And Matt OB次元官网网址檅rien, The Associated Press
