Sam Altman, the high-profile CEO of OpenAI, who became the face of the tech industry’s artificial intelligence boom, has been pushed out of the company by its board of directors, OpenAI said in a blog post Friday afternoon.
Mira Murati, who previously served as the company’s chief technology officer, has been named interim CEO, the company said.
“Mr. Altman’s departure follows a deliberative review process by the board, which concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities,” the company said. “The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI.”
The move is a stunning fall for Altman, 38, who over the last year had become one of the tech industry’s most prominent executives as well as one of its most fascinating characters. Last autumn, OpenAI launched an industrywide AI frenzy when it released the online chatbot ChatGPT.
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A longtime tech entrepreneur, Altman helped found OpenAI with the financial backing of Elon Musk in 2015. He steered the small San Francisco company into rare territory — a technology leader funded by billions of dollars from Microsoft and envied by Silicon Valley giants like Google and Meta, Facebook’s parent company.
Altman also became a spokesperson for the tech industry’s shift toward AI, testifying before Congress and charming lawmakers and regulators around the world. Many in the industry believe AI is the biggest technology shift in generations, and no one has done more to generate mainstream enthusiasm for it than Altman.
It was not immediately clear what had led to the decision by OpenAI’s board beyond what was said in its statement. Altman could not be immediately reached for comment. In a post to X, formerly known as Twitter, he wrote, “i loved my time at openai. it was transformative for me personally, and hopefully the world a little bit. most of all i loved working with such talented people. will have more to say about what’s next later.”
First published on: 18-11-2023 at 06:54 IST
