The world of technology and artificial intelligence has recently been rocked by a series of events surrounding OpenAI, the company known for developing ChatGPT and other innovative projects. At the center of this storm is Sam Altman, former CEO of OpenAI, who has experienced a tumultuous period characterized by his departure and subsequent return to the helm of the company. The story began when some OpenAI researchers sent a letter to the board of directors, expressing concerns about a major advancement in Project Q*, which could have posed a threat to humanity. This letter, previously unreleased, led to the dismissal of Altman, the creator of ChatGPT, sparking five days of chaos within the company.
Mira Murati, an executive director at OpenAI, mentioned Project Q* to employees, revealing that a letter had been sent to the board of directors prior to that weekend’s events. It is believed that progress on Q* could represent a significant breakthrough in the company’s pursuit of superintelligence: an AI capable of thinking and making decisions like a human being. Sources cite the letter as one of the reasons, among others, that led to Altman’s departure. However, neither Altman, nor OpenAI, nor the researchers who wrote the letter commented on this information.
The situation became further complicated with another letter, purportedly written by former OpenAI employees, accusing Altman and his co-founder Greg Brockman of creating a hostile work environment. This letter described “dishonest” and “manipulative” leadership by Altman and Brockmanalleging that a significant number of OpenAI employees had been let go to ease the company’s transition to a for-profit business model.
Just five days after his departure, Altman made a surprising return on November 21 as CEO of OpenAI. This return was possible thanks to the intervention of Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, who announced that Altman and Brockman will join the company to lead a new AI innovation team. Meanwhile, former Twitch leader Emmett Shear has become the interim CEO of OpenAI. Altman thanked Nadella for her help in making this surprising change possible. With his return, some of the company’s founders, including Illya Sutskever, Helen Toner and Tasha McCauley, left OpenAI. Altman reiterated his love for OpenAI and his commitment to keeping the team and its mission together.
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