Sam Altman is returning to OpenAI as its chief executive.
OpenAI said on Wednesday that it has reached an “agreement in principle” for Altman’s return.
Altman, who was unexpectedly fired by OpenAI’s board on Friday got hired on Sunday by Tech giant Microsoft.
His exit however stirred up a chain of reactions as Greg Brockman, former President of OpenAI, and countless other members of the startup resigned in protest of the board’s decision.
Reports from Reuters on Tuesday also said that several OpenAI investors had begun exploring options to sue the board members.
The company’s announcement today came after five days of intense discussions, debates and convincing.
Sam Altman confirming the news in a post on X, said;
“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. When I decided to join Microsoft on Sunday evening, it was clear that was the best path for me and the team. With the new board and with Satya’s support, I’m looking forward to returning to OpenAI, and building on our strong partnership with Microsoft.”
The startup is also reforming its board.
According to reports, Altman demanded “significant” managerial and governance changes at OpenAI as a condition of returning.
Many OpenAI backers — including Microsoft — supported the demand as well.
The startup is eliminating several members of the board who faced intense scrutiny for their decision last week.
According to the startup,the new board will include
- Former Salesforce chief executive, Bret Taylor
- Former US Secretary of the Treasury, Larry Summers and
- Quora founder Adam D’Angelo
“Taylor will serve as the chair of the board,” the startup said .
Microsoft, which owns about 49% of OpenAI, has expressed its support for the startup’s new decision, saying, “We believe this is a first essential step on a path to more stable, well-informed, and effective governance.“
Microsoft chief, Satya Nadella said that he was “encouraged by today’s changes to the OpenAI board.”
In his statement on X, he said, “Sam, Greg, and I have talked and agreed they have a key role to play along with the OAI leadership team in ensuring OAI continues to thrive and build on its mission. We look forward to building on our strong partnership and delivering the value of this next generation of AI to our customers and partners.”
Emmett Shear, the former CEO of Twitch and leader of OpenAI also supports OpenAI’s new decision.
His post on X reads ;
“Coming into OpenAI, I wasn’t sure what the right path would be. This was the pathway that maximized safety alongside doing right by all stakeholders involved. I’m glad to have been a part of the solution”.