OpenAI, the artificial intelligence research lab and developer of ChatGPT, has been plunged into internal turmoil after Greg Brockman announced that he was leaving his position just hours after CEO Sam Altman was abruptly fired.
Grek Brockman was co-founder and president of ChatGPT developer OpenAI
The series of events unfolded after Altman, the public face of OpenAI, was dismissed following a review by the board of directors, citing issues with transparency in communications.
Brockman, who co-founded OpenAI with Altman and served as its chairman, resigned from the firm, although the board expressed a desire for him to continue. The sudden exits of both Altman and Brockman have created uncertainty about the future direction of OpenAI, which plays a major role in the artificial intelligence field and is backed by Microsoft, which owns about half of the company.
The turmoil began with a phone call around noon Friday from Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI’s chief scientist, in which he informed Altman that he had been terminated. Then, OpenAI’s Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati was appointed as interim CEO.
Unexpected decision by OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT! CEO fired
There was a separation in OpenAI, one of the world’s largest artificial intelligence-focused companies. The company’s CEO, Sam Altman, was dismissed.
Although OpenAI announced that Brockman would resign as chairman of the board, it appears that Brockman chose to resign altogether, expressing regret at the board’s direction.
The reasons behind Altman’s firing were not publicly disclosed, and OpenAI and Microsoft continue not to comment on the circumstances that led to the leadership changes. Altman played a pivotal role in shaping OpenAI’s public image and influencing the artificial intelligence landscape, leading the company’s efforts to develop large language models, particularly ChatGPT.
Altman and Brockman’s departure came as a shock to Silicon Valley, as OpenAI is a major player in the AI race, setting benchmarks and influencing the development of AI technologies. Altman’s departure, in particular, left a void as he was instrumental in developing partnerships and collaborations, including a key relationship with Microsoft.
Despite the internal turmoil, Microsoft expressed its commitment to the partnership with OpenAI. In his statement, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella talked about the long-term agreement with OpenAI and reiterated their commitment to the partnership, technology roadmap and delivering meaningful benefits to the world.