OpenAI Staff Threaten to Join Sam Altman at Microsoft

As the dust settles following the dramatic events at OpenAI, the fallout from the board’s decision to remove CEO Sam Altman and cofounder and former president Greg Brockman has left the future of the AI research company in doubt. The move, which the board claimed was due to Altman’s lack of candor, has been met with fierce resistance from OpenAI’s staff, who have threatened to leave en masse and join Altman at Microsoft.

Letter from OpenAI employees

The letter, signed by over 600 OpenAI employees, including chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, accuses the board of jeopardizing the company’s mission and undermining its competence. The letter also calls for the resignation of the current board members and the appointment of two new independent lead board members, Bret Taylor and Will Hurd.

Unusual governance structure

The episode has highlighted the unusual governance structure of OpenAI, which gave a few nonprofit board members extraordinary power over the hottest tech company in the world. The race to develop artificial intelligence has also become increasingly divisive among those involved in its development, with Altman’s efforts to raise money and turn OpenAI’s offerings into commercial products potentially unsettling board members who saw their responsibility as ensuring that AI is developed safely.

Risks of AI

The meteoric rise of OpenAI in the year since the release of ChatGPT has been accompanied by growing talk about the risks that increasingly advanced AI may pose. The letter from OpenAI’s staff reads: “Your conduct has made it clear you did not have the competence to oversee OpenAI.”

Potential loss of staff

The letter raises the very real prospect of OpenAI losing almost all of its staff, and Microsoft essentially acqui-hiring the entire company. OpenAI has around 770 total staff.

Divisive race for AI development

The wild saga also reveals how divisive the race to develop artificial intelligence has become among many involved with developing the technology. Altman’s efforts to raise money for OpenAI and to turn its offerings into commercial products may have unsettled board members, who saw their responsibility as ensuring that AI is developed safely.

Stabilizing the company

OpenAI’s leadership team attempted to stabilize the company following the board’s decision, but within two days, the board replaced interim CEO Mira Murati against the best interests of the company. The leadership team suggested that the most stabilizing path forward would be for the board to resign and put in place a qualified board that could lead the company forward in stability.

Capability to oversee OpenAI

The letter from OpenAI’s staff reads: “Leadership worked with you around the clock to find a mutually agreeable outcome. Yet within two days of your initial decision, you again replaced interim CEO Mira Murati against the best interests of the company. You also informed the leadership team that allowing the company to be destroyed ‘would be consistent with the mission.’ Your actions have made it obvious that you are incapable of overseeing OpenAI.”

Uncertain future for OpenAI

The future of OpenAI remains uncertain, with the company’s remaining leaders facing the daunting task of finding a new path forward. The episode also raises questions about the governance structures of AI research companies and the potential risks and benefits of developing increasingly advanced AI technology. As the technology continues to evolve at breakneck speed, it is clear that these issues will continue to be a source of intense debate and discussion in the years to come.