In response to Sam Altman’s tumultuous return as OpenAI’s CEO, the company has revealed that Microsoft will now be a non-voting observer on its board. The addition of the tech giant to the board raises questions about why OpenAI’s largest investor was not already represented, but the move appears to address this issue. Altman will be joined by co-founder Greg Brockman, who will resume his position as President, while Mira Murati, who briefly served as interim CEO, will return to her role as CTO.
The announcement also introduces a new board lineup featuring former Salesforce CEO Bret Taylor as chair, former Clinton Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, and original member Adam D’Angelo, who is also the co-founder and CEO of Quora. Altman’s departure was reportedly influenced by D’Angelo’s potential conflict of interest, as OpenAI was developing a possible competitor to Quora’s Poe service, which offers various text-generating AI models developed by OpenAI.
D’Angelo’s inclusion in the new board was unexpected, prompting Altman to address the issue. He stated that Quora is a significant customer of OpenAI, and having customer representation on the board is beneficial. Altman also emphasized D’Angelo’s transparency about the potential conflict and willingness to step down from the board if necessary. Altman also commented on his departure from the original board, attributing it to misunderstandings with some members.
OpenAI co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, who allegedly played a role in Altman’s ouster, has since expressed regret and voiced support for Altman’s return. The company’s new chair, Taylor, has pledged to enhance the governance structure and establish an independent committee to review recent events for the organization’s stability.
Sam Altman Returns as CEO and Microsoft Joins OpenAI Board
