After the continuous sequence of unprecedented moves which followed Sam Altman’s firing by OpenAI’s board, the company has been thrust into further turmoil as nearly 500 employees have issued an ultimatum: resignations en masse unless the board steps down and reinstates ousted CEO Sam Altman and cofounder Greg Brockman.
The unrest caused by Altman’s controversial dismissal has set ablaze a rebellion that could reshape the company’s future. The rebellion was visible as the company’s CTO Mira Murati and COO Brad Lightcap started a string of Tweets from OpenAI employees when they posted, “OpenAI is nothing without its people,” which was in turn reshared by Altman.
️ https://t.co/nKlFeRzGcv
— Sam Altman (@sama) November 20, 2023
In a scathing letter addressed to the board, the disgruntled employees rebuked the dismissal as detrimental to the company’s mission and integrity. Notably, even Ilya Sutskever, the company’s chief scientist and board member, previously implicated in the upheaval, remorsefully admitted regret over his role and pledged reconciliation.
500+ OpenAI employees will quit and join Microsoft unless the board resigns and reinstates Sam and Greg. https://t.co/4LA2EJnHWG pic.twitter.com/XH0DIdR8Bv
— Balaji (@balajis) November 20, 2023
The unprecedented upheaval unfolded in a whirlwind weekend following Altman’s abrupt removal. Despite initial hints of reconciliation, hopes shattered as the board firmly shut the door on Altman’s return, prompting the tech luminary to pivot to Microsoft. Hours later, Microsoft’s CEO announced Altman and Brockman’s pivotal roles in spearheading a groundbreaking AI research unit at the tech giant.
In a frantic reshuffling of leadership, Mira Murati’s interim CEO position was short-lived, replaced by Emmett Shear, the former CEO of Twitch. The rapid changes left OpenAI in disarray, with a faction of staff frustrated by the lack of transparency surrounding Altman’s dismissal.
The staff’s ultimatum wasn’t veiled: defect to Microsoft alongside Altman or face a potential exodus. Microsoft’s response remains pending, leaving the fate of OpenAI precariously hanging in the balance.
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