OpenAI, the artificial intelligence research lab and developer of ChatGPT, was officially plunged into internal turmoil when Greg Brockman announced that he was leaving his post just hours after CEO Sam Altman was abruptly fired.
Grek Brockman was president of OpenAI
A series of events unfolded after Altman, the public face of OpenAI, was dismissed following a review by the board, citing issues with transparency in communications.
Brockman, who co-founded OpenAI with Altman and served as its chairman, resigned from the company despite the board’s expressed desire for him to continue. The sudden exits of both Altman and Brockman have created uncertainty about the future direction of OpenAI, which plays a major role in artificial intelligence and is backed by Microsoft, which owns about half of the company.
The turmoil began with a phone call from OpenAI’s chief scientist, Ilya Sutskever, who informed Altman at noon on Friday that he was being terminated. OpenAI’s Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati was then appointed interim CEO.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella issued a statement reiterating Microsoft's "commitment" to OpenAI but did not mention Altman's departure.
While OpenAI had announced that Brockman would step down as chairman of the board, it appears that Brockman has chosen to resign outright, expressing regret at the board’s direction.
The reasons behind Altman’s firing have not been publicly disclosed, and OpenAI and Microsoft continue to decline to comment on the circumstances that led to the leadership changes. Altman played a pivotal role in shaping OpenAI’s public image and influencing the AI landscape, leading the company’s efforts to develop large language models, notably ChatGPT.
The departure of Altman and Brockman came as a shock in Silicon Valley, as OpenAI was a key player in the AI race, setting benchmarks and influencing the development of AI technologies. Altman’s departure in particular left a void as he was instrumental in the development of partnerships and collaborations, including an important relationship with Microsoft.
Despite the internal turmoil, Microsoft has expressed its commitment to the partnership with OpenAI. In a statement, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella spoke of the long-term agreement with OpenAI and reiterated their commitment to the partnership, the technology roadmap and delivering meaningful benefits to the world.
