OpenAI’s board of directors fired Altman on Friday over concerns that he was underestimating the dangers of the technology.
The sudden firing of Sam Altman, co-founder of artificial intelligence giant OpenAI, has led to hundreds of staff members threatening to quit and join Microsoft.
OpenAI staff say they plan to follow Altman, who said he would start an artificial intelligence (AI) subsidiary at Microsoft after he was abruptly fired from the company that developed the ChatGPT chatbot that led to rapid advances in AI technology. Ta.
In the letter, some of OpenAI’s most senior staff threatened to leave the company unless the board was replaced.
“The process by which you fired and eliminated Sam Altman [co-founder and former president] Board member Greg Brockman has jeopardized all of this work and ruined our mission and our company,” says the letter, first published in Technology News Media. wiredit is read.
“Your actions have demonstrated that you are incompetent to oversee OpenAI.”
“Microsoft has assured us that this new subsidiary will have a position for every OpenAI employee if we choose to join.”
According to reports, as many as 500 of OpenAI’s 770 employees signed the letter.
The company’s board fired Altman on Friday over concerns that he was underestimating the risks of the company’s technology and steering the company away from its stated mission.
OpenAI has appointed Emmett Shea, the former chief executive of Amazon’s streaming platform Twitch, as its new CEO, making him the third CEO in recent days.
In a post on X announcing his appointment as interim CEO, Mr. Shear denied reports that Mr. Attleman’s firing was due to safety concerns.
But Mr. Altman’s departure prompted the resignations of other prominent members of the company, as well as a backlash from investors who wanted Mr. Altman to return.
However, OpenAI stood by its decision.
“Mr. Sam’s actions and lack of transparency have impaired the board’s ability to effectively oversee the company,” the company said in a memo sent to employees Sunday night. new york times report.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, along with OpenAI co-founder Brockman, who announced that he would be leaving the company following Altman’s departure, said Altman “will be working to lead a new advanced AI research team.” “I will join Microsoft Corporation in 2019,” he wrote to X.
Nadella added that Microsoft looks forward to working with OpenAI’s new team under Shear and that they remain “committed to our partnership with OpenAI.”
Technology giant Microsoft has invested more than $10 billion in OpenAI and is deploying the AI pioneer’s technology into its own products.
