OpenAI drama ends, Sam Altman reinstated as CEO, AI company constitutes new board

In a surprising turn of events, Sam Altman has been reinstated as the Chief Executive Officer of OpenAI, successfully overturning his recent ouster by the company’s board. This decision follows a vigorous campaign led by Altman’s allies, employees, and investors, leading to a significant reshaping of the company’s board.

The announcement from OpenAI stated, “We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO with a new initial board of Bret Taylor (Chair), Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo. We are collaborating to figure out the details. Thank you so much for your patience through this.”

We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman to return to OpenAI as CEO with a new initial board of Bret Taylor (Chair), Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo.

We are collaborating to figure out the details. Thank you so much for your patience through this.

— OpenAI (@OpenAI) November 22, 2023

The reinstatement of Altman and the potential overhaul of the board concludes a tumultuous five days that brought unprecedented upheaval to OpenAI, a prominent artificial intelligence company known for its ChatGPT chatbot.

Altman took to X, saying that when he decided to join Microsoft on Sunday, it was clear that was the best path for me and the team. He also said that with the new board and with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s support, he was looking forward to returning to OpenAI and building on the strong partnership with Microsoft.

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 msft on sun evening, it was clear that was the best path for me and the team. with the new board and w satya’s support, i’m…

— Sam Altman (@sama) November 22, 2023

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, also posted on X, saying that Sam, Greg, and he agree they have a key role to play along in OpenAI’s leadership team, ensuring it 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,” he added.

We are encouraged by the changes to the OpenAI board. We believe this is a first essential step on a path to more stable, well-informed, and effective governance. Sam, Greg, and I have talked and agreed they have a key role to play along with the OAI leadership team in ensuring… https://t.co/djO6Fuz6t9

— Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) November 22, 2023

The unexpected removal of Altman from his position on Friday by the OpenAI board shocked both him and the company’s employees. Greg Brockman, the company’s president and co-founder, resigned in protest following Altman’s ouster.

Altman, 38, along with supporters in the tech industry and OpenAI’s employees, mobilized to compel the board to reverse its decision. Despite weekend negotiations, the board initially stood by its choice on Sunday evening.

However, a dramatic twist occurred when Microsoft, OpenAI’s largest investor, announced just hours later that Altman, Brockman, and others would be joining the company to establish a new advanced artificial intelligence lab.

The situation intensified as over 700 of OpenAI’s employees signed a letter threatening to walk out and follow Altman to Microsoft if he was not reinstated, putting the startup’s future in jeopardy.

Initially, four board members, including Ilya Sutskever, an OpenAI founder; Adam D’Angelo, the CEO of Quora; Helen Toner, a director of strategy at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology; and Tasha McCauley, an entrepreneur and computer scientist, had decided to remove Altman from his role. The potential remaking of the board signifies a significant shift in OpenAI’s leadership and strategy.