Sam Altman Returns to OpenAI as CEO

Sam Altman officially announced his return to OpenAI as CEO and outlined the company’s plans for the future.

Sam Altman is back as CEO, Mira Murati as CTO and Greg Brockman as President. OpenAI has a new initial board. Messages from @sama and board chair @btaylor https://t.co/sP0kAQIeKg

— OpenAI (@OpenAI) November 30, 2023

According to the CEO’s address, Mira Murati and Greg Brockman were reinstated as CTO and President, respectively.

In addition, the former board composition was dissolved, and seats on the new board were filled by Bret Taylor, Larry Summers and Adam D’Angelo.

«I love and respect Ilya [Sutskever], I consider him a guiding star and a human jewel. I harbour no ill will toward him. Although Ilya will no longer sit on the board, we hope to continue our working relationship and discuss how he can continue his work at OpenAI», — Altman said.

Sutskever is seen as one of the initiators of the CEO’s ouster. It was from him that the CEO received an invitation to an online call with the board, during which he was informed of his dismissal.

Altman thanked Microsoft executives for their help in the difficult moment. An unnamed representative of the tech giant will also join the board as an “observer without a vote.”

The CEO noted that he and Brockman are co-managers of OpenAI. They do not yet know how to formalize this status at the corporate level, but ‘they will figure it out later’.

However, questions about the new board’s impartiality have arisen in the community.

Why TF is Larry Summers on the board? The dude was a primary architect of the 08 financial crisis people. He has a lifelong history of doing the dirty work of Goldman Sachs and his banker friends. He shouldn’t be within 100 miles of OpenAI- why is no one talking about this???

— Cancelthisclothingcompany (@Cancelcloco) November 30, 2023

«What the hell is Larry Summers doing on the board? That guy was the chief architect of the 2008 financial crisis. He has spent his life doing the dirty work for Goldman Sachs and his banker friends. He should not be within 100 miles of OpenAI», — exclaimed one user on X.

Geoffrey Irving, head of the scalable alignment division at DeepMind, criticised Altman himself. According to him, while working at OpenAI the chief executive “treated him well, but often lied and manipulated.”

Future plans

The OpenAI chief highlighted several key tasks. First, the company will continue to adhere to a ‘plan for research and investment in comprehensive safety efforts’.

Second, the firm intends to improve its products so that ‘people can experience the benefits and prospects of AI’.

In the end, Altman noted the need to form a board with ‘diverse viewpoints’.

«I look forward to completing work on the creation of beneficial general artificial intelligence together with all of you — the best team in the world with the best mission in the world», the CEO concluded.

The chair of the new board Bret Taylor said the company’s leadership would focus on strengthening OpenAI’s corporate infrastructure. Specifically, a skilled and diverse board of exceptional people, whose collective experience reflects the breadth of the firm’s mission will be created.

«We will improve OpenAI’s governance structure so that all stakeholders — users, clients, employees, partners and members of the community — believe in the company’s continued prosperity», Taylor said.

Earlier, OpenAI researchers warned the board about a major breakthrough in AI that could threaten humanity.

As reported by CoinGecko analysts amid the company’s scandal, AI tokens rose. reported.