Sam Altman, Ex-Chairman Brockman Express ‘Shock’ Over Unceremonious OpenAI Ouster: Details
OpenAI’s now ex-Chairman Greg Brockman and ex-CEO Sam Altman expressed their shock and sadness at the board's decisions through a post on Saturday. Taking to Twitter, Brockman revealed the details of all that transpired in the leadup to the firing of OpenAI’s CEO Altman.
The ordeal reportedly began when Altman received a text from OpenAI's co-founder and chief scientist, Ilya Sutskever, requesting a meeting scheduled for noon on Friday. When Altman joined the virtual meeting, the entire board, excluding Brockman, was present. In a shocking revelation, Sutskever informed Altman that he was being terminated from his position and the news would be disseminated imminently.
Explaining further, Brockman revealed that he received a text from Sutskever, prompting a quick call and providing a Google Meet link. In this conversation, Brockman learned that he was being removed from the board, though it was stressed that he remained vital to the company and would retain his current role. Brockman anyway chose to quit from the company.
Soon after, OpenAI released a blog post detailing these sudden changes.
Brockman shared on X that the company's management team, with the exception of Mira (who found out a night prior), was reportedly made aware of these developments shortly after the decisions were communicated to Altman and Brockman.
OpenAI board has appointed Mira Murati as the Interim CEO, following the unexpected firing of Sam Altman.
The swift and unexpected nature of these announcements has left both the industry and the broader community connected to OpenAI in shock, with many now seeking clarification on the reasons behind the sudden shakeup.
Currently, OpenAI’s board of directors consists of OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, independent directors Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo, technology entrepreneur Tasha McCauley, and Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology’s Helen Toner.
Industry Leaders Hail Altman's Exploits
Some entrepreneurs including ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky hailed Sam Altman and his feats.
“Sam Altman is a hero of mine. He built a company from nothing to $90 Billion in value, and changed our collective world forever. I can't wait to see what he does next. I, and billions of people, will benefit from his future work- it's going to be simply incredible. Thank you @sama for all you have done for all of us,” Schmidt wrote on X.
According to a Forbes report, OpenAI's VC investors (including Khosla Ventures) were also in the dark about this abrupt ouster. Even Microsoft, having poured over USD 10 billion into OpenAI, reportedly received the news of Altman's termination and removal from the board merely one minute before the information was made public through a press release (as per an Axios report).
American venture capitalist and philanthropist Ron Conway took to X and likened the firing of Altman to a board coup which saw Steve Jobs being pushed out of Apple in 1985.
As of Thursday evening, Altman remained outwardly composed and unconcerned, as evidenced by his participation in two public events. At the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in San Francisco, he engaged in a panel discussion with colleagues, where he conveyed his steadfast dedication and shared his vision for the future of artificial intelligence. He also addressed an event related to Burning Man in Oakland, California, participating in a discussion lasting an hour that delved into the intersection of art and AI.
Also Read: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Fired By Board, Chairman Greg Brockman Resigns
