OpenAI Welcomes Back Sam Altman As CEO And Introduces New Board In A Strange Turn Of Events

What a circus… In a strange turn of events, Sam Altman has resumed his role as CEO of OpenAI, joined by Mira Murati as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Greg Brockman returning as President. The company also unveiled its new initial board, comprising Bret Taylor (Chair), Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo.

OpenAI has already tweeted that they had 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. But, Altman seemed to refuse to return… Until now that is.

Message from Sam Altman on OpenAI website

Sam Altman, in a message posted on the OpenAI website, expressed his excitement and gratitude for the team’s resilience in an “unclear and unprecedented situation.” He acknowledged the contributions of various team members and partners, including Ilya Sutskever, who, despite no longer serving on the board, is hoped to continue his association with OpenAI. Altman also thanked the leadership team, which he believes is more than capable of running the company in his absence.

Altman outlined three immediate priorities for OpenAI:

1. Advancing their research plan and investing in full-stack safety efforts.
2. Improving and deploying products to serve customers, ensuring the benefits of AI are widely experienced.
3. Working with the new board to build out a diverse board of perspectives, improve governance structures, and oversee an independent review of recent events.

Message from Bret Taylor, Board Chair, on OpenAI website

Also Bret Taylor, speaking on behalf of the OpenAI Board, posted a message expressing gratitude to the OpenAI community and employees. He highlighted the focus on strengthening OpenAI’s corporate governance, including building a diverse board, stabilizing the organization, and enhancing governance structures. He acknowledged the crucial role of OpenAI in the development and safety of AI technologies and reaffirmed the commitment to listening and learning from the community.

Let’s now see what happens to Sam Altman’s other projects in the AI chip industry and with Worldcoin.