Altman is back at OpenAI, but questions remain as to why he was fired in first place
Sam Altman is returning to lead OpenAI less than five days after his surprise dismissal, which kicked off a tug of war for his talent, left the company in disarray and laid bare deep board divisions over the mission of one of the world's most valuable startups.
OpenAI's new interim board, which won't include Altman at the outset, will be led by Bret Taylor, a former co-CEO of Salesforce Inc. The other directors are Larry Summers, the former US treasury secretary, and existing member Adam D'Angelo, the co-founder and CEO of Quora Inc.
Altman had been fired Friday after clashing with the board over his drive to transform OpenAI from a nonprofit organization focused on the scientific exploration of artificial intelligence into a business that builds products, attracts customers and lines up the funding needed to power AI tools. Members of the former board harbored concerns about the potential harms done by powerful, unchecked AI.
Job one for the interim board will be finding new directors who can strike a better balance between OpenAI's business imperatives and the need to protect the public from tools capable of creating content that misinforms, worsens inequality or makes it easier for bad actors to inflict violence.
The reconstituted board should reflect greater diversity, said many people, including Ashley Mayer, CEO of Coalition Operators, a venture capital firm. “I'm thrilled for OpenAI employees that Sam is back, but it feels very 2023 that our happy ending is three white men on a board charged with ensuring AI benefits all of humanity,” she wrote on the social media site X. “Hoping there's more to come soon.”
Investors will also expect changes in the ways the board communicates with stakeholders. Executives at Microsoft
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