Chinanews.com, November 11 According to the Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, on the 19th, investors in artificial intelligence startup OpenAI are currently pressuring the company's board of directors to reverse the decision to remove former chief executive officer (CEO) Sam Altman (Sam Atlman) and remove him as a director.
According to reports, the OpenAI board of directors is discussing with Altman the latter's return to the CEO role, according to people familiar with the matter. Altman, who was abruptly fired by the board, was "ambivalent" about his return and wanted a new board and significant changes to governance, according to one of the people familiar with the matter.
On May 2023, 5 local time, Sam Altman, then CEO of OpenAI, attended a hearing held by the Privacy, Technology, and Law Committee of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
OpenAI's major shareholders, including Microsoft and U.S. venture capital firm Thrive Capital, are helping to coordinate efforts to restore Altman, the report said. Microsoft invested $130 billion in OpenAI, making it the largest outside shareholder of OpenAI, and Thrive Capital is the second largest outside shareholder. Other investors in OpenAI also support Altman's return.
Altman is expected to make a final decision on whether to return to OpenAI as early as this weekend, people familiar with the matter said.
At the moment, OpenAI has not responded to this.
Data map: OpenAI's logo
OpenAI President Greg Brockman also offered to leave just hours after Altman's fire, and the two are discussing starting another AI company, according to the report. They are ready to hire former OpenAI employees, including several who resigned in protest against Altman's ouster.
On the 17th local time, OpenAI issued a statement relieving Altman of his position as CEO. Altman's inconsistent candor in his communications with the board of directors hindered the board's ability to perform its duties, the statement said, adding that "the board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue to lead OpenAI." OpenAI's chief technology officer, Mira Murati, has been appointed interim CEO.
According to reports, Altman founded OpenAI in 2015 with Musk's financial support. In the fall of 2022, OpenAI released ChatGPT, an online chatbot, which sparked an industry-wide AI boom.