OpenAI could rule the market with its ChatGPT, but right now it is ruling over social media as well as the news cycle with the drama that’s ensuing in its office. The company recently fired co-founder and CEO Sam Altman. The rumour mill suggested that Altman had differences with the board on matters like profit and security. OpenAI was quick to replace him with interim CEO Mira Murati.
But but but…. It doesn’t end here. Not only did the board at OpenAI fire Altman, they also showed co-founder Greg Brockman the exit gate, apparently for supporting Altman’s ways. On top of that, within three days of her appointment, Mira Murati was replaced as the interim CEO by former Twitch chief, Emmett Shear. Media reports suggest that Murati wanted Altman and Brockman back at OpenAI and was therefore replaced by the board.
Also read: Fired by OpenAI, Sam Altman now joins Microsoft as AI lead
Now, in an interesting twist of events at the Silicon Valley-based company, over 500 out of the 700 employees at OpenAI have asked the board to resign, reports journalist Kara Swisher via X (formerly Twitter). They argued that the process of removal of Altman and Brockman has undermined their mission as a company and even jeopardised all the work that OpenAI has done so far.
They even showed their disappointment and disapproval over the quick switch of Mira Murati to Emmett Shear. In the letter to the board, they said, “Yet within two days of your initial decision, you again replaced interim CEO Mira Murati against the best interests of the company.”
Also read: Why OpenAI fired CEO Sam Altman? Find out here
Further, they have threatened the Board of Directors at OpenAI to resign. The signatories on the letter have said that if the board fails to do so, they will join Altman and Brockman at Microsoft’s new AI venture.
The letter read, “We, the undersigned, may choose to resign from OpenAl and join the newly announced Microsoft subsidiary run by Sam Altman and Greg Brockman. Microsoft has assured us that there are positions for all OpenAl employees at this new subsidiary should we choose to join. We will take this step imminently unless all current board members resign, and the board appoints two new lead independent directors, such as Bret Taylor and Will Hurd, and reinstates Sam Altman and Greg Brockman.”
