Ousted OpenAI CEO Altman discusses possible return, mulls over new AI venture: Source
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Investors in OpenAI are discussing damage control, including possibly pushing to restore Mr Sam Altman as chief executive, fearing a mass exodus of talent without him.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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SAN FRANCISCO – Mr Sam Altman, the just ousted chief executive of OpenAI,
A day after the board fired him in a surprise move that rocked the tech world, Mr Altman was talking with OpenAI executives about improving the company’s governance structure while discussing with some core OpenAI researchers and others loyal to him how they could start a new AI company, the person said.
The possibilities of a return or a restart for Mr Altman, seen by many as the face of generative AI, are in flux, said the source, who asked not to be named because the source was not authorised to speak on behalf of the parties involved.
OpenAI and Mr Altman did not reply to requests for comment.
Investors in OpenAI, including its biggest backer Microsoft, are discussing damage control, including possibly pushing the board to restore Mr Altman as CEO, fearing a mass exodus of talent without him, other sources said.
Kholsa Ventures, an early backer of OpenAI, wants Mr Altman back at OpenAI but “will back him in whatever he does next”, the fund’s founder Vinod Khosla posted on X on Nov 18.
Microsoft declined to comment. It reportedly owns 49 per cent of the company, while other investors and employees control 49 per cent, with 2 per cent owned by OpenAI’s non-profit parent.
Emotions ran high on Nov 18 as current and former employees were angered by Mr Altman’s sacking and worried over how an upcoming US$86 billion (S$115.5 billion) share sale could be affected by the sudden management upheaval.
OpenAI, a non-profit co-founded by billionaire Elon Musk, launched ChatGPT on Nov 30, 2022, creating a global sensation over generative AI technology that quickly became the world’s fastest-growing software application.
It set off a wave of investments and announcements across industries to use AI to enhance everything from financial services and healthcare to entertainment and media.
Trained on reams of data, generative AI can create human-like content, helping users to spin up term papers, complete their science homework and even write entire novels.
After ChatGPT’s launch, regulators scrambled to catch up: the European Union revised its AI Act and the United States kicked off AI regulation efforts.
By Nov 18, some shell-shocked employees contemplated quitting if Mr Altman was not restored by the end of the weekend, one source said. Others expressed support for joining Mr Altman in starting a company, another person familiar with the matter said.
Former OpenAI president Greg Brockman, who said he quit OpenAI over Mr Altman’s firing on Nov 17, is expected to join any effort, according to The Information, which earlier reported the possible new venture, citing a person familiar with the matter.
Mr Brockman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. OpenAI also did not respond to a request for comment.
Some researchers at OpenAI, including Mr Szymon Sidor, have quit the company over the CEO change, but it was unclear if Mr Sidor and others would join a new Altman venture, two people familiar with the matter said. Mr Sidor confirmed quitting.
Mr Altman and former Apple design chief Jony Ive have been discussing building a new AI hardware device, The Information reported in September.
It said that SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son had been involved in the conversation.
Mr Altman’s ouster was over a “breakdown of communications”, not “malfeasance”, chief operating officer Brad Lightcap wrote in an internal company memo on Nov 18 that was viewed by Reuters.
Tech website The Verge earlier reported the OpenAI board’s discussions with Mr Altman to return as CEO. Forbes reported on Nov 18 that investors were plotting to restore Mr Altman as CEO. REUTERS
