According to Cointelegraph: Following an agreement in principle, OpenAI announced on November 22nd that Sam Altman will return to his former position as the company's CEO. This news comes only two days after Satya Nadella, Microsoft's CEO, had appointed Altman to a new artificial intelligence (AI) research team.
OpenAI publicly confirmed the agreement in a post on its official X account (formerly Twitter), indicating that the specifics are still being worked out with Altman, who demonstrated his agreement to the arrangement by resharing the post with a heart emoji.
Altman expressed his excitement about the return, withdrawing from his upcoming role at Microsoft and stating, "I’m looking forward to returning to OpenAI, and building on our strong partnership with Microsoft." Nadella backed this move, highlighting its importance for the continued growth and mission of OpenAI.
Altman’s return becomes all the more significant considering the staff response to his brief departure. Out of 700, a total of 505 OpenAI employees had signed a letter expressing concern that Altman's termination had jeopardized the company’s mission. This large-scale employee reaction, followed by Microsoft’s immediate job offer, further emphasizes Altman's prominent role in the AI ecosystem.
OpenAI also announced the appointment of a new board, including Bret Taylor as chairman, accompanied by Larry Summers and Adam D’Angelo, marking a fresh chapter in leadership for the influential AI organization.
