OpenAI CEO returns after staff threaten to quit

After 97% of its staff threatened to quit, Sam Altman has been reinstated as CEO at OpenAI just days after after he was dismissed by the board.

In an open letter to the OpenAI board, 708 employees had demanded for the removal of the artificial intelligence pioneer’s board following Altman’s unexpected and unexplained dismissal.

Reports suggested that 747 of OpenAI’s 770 employees threatened to quit unless the board reversed it decision to sack Altman and reinstated his co-founder, the company’s former president Greg Brockman. Brockman quit after being ousted from the board on Friday.

Now, OpenAI has reached an agreement “in principle” with Altman, which involves new board members being appointed.

Both Altman and Brockman had been hired by Microsoft – OpenAI’s largest investor.

The signatories to the letter had said the non-profit board’s actions have jeopardized their work, undermined their mission and that the board was incompetent.

The letter read: “Your actions have made it obvious that you are incapable of overseeing OpenAl. We are unable to work for or with people that lack competence, judgment and care for our mission and employees.

“We, the undersigned, may choose to resign from OpenAI and join the newly announced Microsoft subsidiary run by Sam Altman and Greg Brockman.

“Microsoft has assured us that there are positions for all OpenAl employees at this new subsidiary should we choose to join. We will take this step imminently, unless all current board members resign, and the board appoints two new lead independent directors, such as Bret Taylor and Will Hurd, and reinstates Sam Altman and Greg Brockman.”

OpenAI has become the much feted start-up of Silicon Valley since it launched ChatGPT a year ago, a generative AI technology that is being used by millions and which could be the most significant technological development since the internet.

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