November 18th 2023.
In a shocking turn of events, Sam Altman, the CEO and co-founder of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has resigned from his role and left the artificial intelligence company with immediate effect. This news has sent shock waves throughout the technology industry, as reported by The Washington Post on Friday.
The blog post from OpenAI revealed that the board of the company no longer had confidence in Altman's ability to lead the organisation. The post further stated that Altman's departure came after a review process which concluded that he was not being transparent in his communication with the board, thus hindering its ability to carry out its duties.
Now, Mira Murati, OpenAI's Chief Technology Officer, will serve as the interim CEO while a search for a permanent successor is underway. Altman posted on X, saying that he had enjoyed his time at OpenAI immensely, and had found it to be a truly transformative experience both personally and, hopefully, for the world.
Altman's departure is certainly unexpected, given his reputation as a prominent figure in the AI revolution and a key influencer in moulding the industry. Since the introduction of ChatGPT, many major tech companies have attempted to try and compete with OpenAI, and world leaders have sought Altman's insights and investments.
The Washington Post reported that Altman was respected as a savvy investor and supporter of smaller companies in Silicon Valley. The success of OpenAI had elevated him to the same status as tech titans such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and the late Steve Jobs. In fact, just last week, Altman had presented OpenAI's new roadmap to an enthusiastic crowd at the company's inaugural conference.
The blog post also announced that Greg Brockman, another co-founder of OpenAI, would be stepping down from his role as chair of the board, but would remain with the organisation.
OpenAI was originally set up as a non-profit in 2015, with the aim of preventing advanced AI from falling into the hands of monopolistic corporations. However, after receiving a significant investment from Microsoft in 2019, the company changed to a for-profit structure. OpenAI still maintains its commitment to building AI for the benefit of humanity, but the recent developments suggest that it is taking a more conventional business approach.
In May, OpenAI went on a hiring spree, bringing in executives from Meta, Apple, and Amazon Web Services. Altman's engagements with world leaders and developers, as well as the company's expansion in San Francisco, hint towards a shift in OpenAI's trajectory from its original non-profit mission, The Washington Post reported.
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