Sam Altman, the co-founder of OpenAI, has praised his former colleagues at the company following his recent departure. Altman stated that his colleagues have been doing an incredible job and their work will go down in history. He expressed his pride in their accomplishments and revealed his excitement about the possibility of working together in the future. Altman also mentioned the openai leadership team, specifically mentioning Mira Brad and Jason, and commended their efforts.
Altman’s comments came a day after it was announced that he would be joining Microsoft, along with former OpenAI president Greg Brockman, to lead a new team focused on advanced research in Artificial Intelligence. Microsoft, as OpenAI’s largest shareholder, has invested over $13 billion in the organization.
Altman emphasized that his priority, along with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, is to ensure the continued success of OpenAI. He stated that the openai/microsoft partnership will make this possible and pledged to provide continuity for partners and customers.
Nadella’s announcement about Altman’s appointment followed a series of dramatic events. Altman was unexpectedly fired from OpenAI during a Google Meet call, according to Brockman’s post on X. The following day, Brockman was informed over a separate Google Meet call that he was being removed from the board but would retain his role due to his importance to the company.
A statement from OpenAI supported by Microsoft explained that Altman’s departure was a result of a review process by the board, which concluded that he had not been consistently transparent in his communications. The statement added that the board had lost confidence in Altman’s ability to lead OpenAI.
The news of Altman’s departure caused shockwaves in the tech industry, and reports emerged that major investors in OpenAI were attempting to bring him back. However, Altman reportedly demanded significant changes, including the removal of current board members, as a condition for his return.
According to Reuters, OpenAI’s staff threatened to resign and join Altman at Microsoft unless the board resigned. It was reported that around 500 staff members, including key executives, indicated their intention to leave the company.
