Staff vow to join Microsoft unless the board is replaced
In the wake of Sam Altman’s unexpected firing as CEO of OpenAI, hundreds of staff members have threatened to leave the company and join Microsoft. The employees expressed their intention to follow Altman, who announced plans to start a new artificial intelligence (AI) subsidiary at Microsoft after his departure from the company behind ChatGPT.
A letter, signed by some of OpenAI’s most senior staff, stated that the process of Altman’s removal and the dismissal of co-founder Greg Brockman from the board had severely damaged the company’s mission and jeopardized the work they had done. The letter, which was first revealed by Wired, claimed that the board had shown a lack of competence in overseeing OpenAI’s operations.
Reports suggest that up to 500 of OpenAI’s 770 employees signed the letter, signaling their discontent. Microsoft has reportedly offered positions within the new subsidiary to all OpenAI employees who choose to join Altman’s team.
The OpenAI board had dismissed Altman on Friday, citing concerns about his handling of the company’s mission and his perceived underestimation of the risks associated with its technology. In response, OpenAI appointed Emmett Shear, former CEO of Amazon’s Twitch, as interim CEO, marking the third leadership change in as many days.
Although Shear denied that Altman’s firing was linked to safety concerns, the move sparked backlash from investors and prompted several high-profile departures from the company. Despite this, OpenAI stood by its decision, with a memo to employees explaining that Altman’s lack of transparency had undermined the board’s ability to effectively oversee the company.
Meanwhile, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella confirmed that Altman, alongside Brockman, would lead a new advanced AI research team at Microsoft. Nadella expressed excitement about the collaboration with OpenAI’s new leadership under Shear, while reaffirming the company’s commitment to its $10 billion investment in OpenAI. Later, Altman assured on X that his top priority, alongside Nadella’s, was to ensure the continued success of OpenAI.
