On November 17, the board of directors of OpenAI announced the dismissal of Sam Altman as the CEO of the artificial intelligence company “following a thoughtful review.”
According to OpenAI’s statement, Altman was not consistently truthful in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to fulfil its responsibilities.
“Mr. Altman’s departure follows a thoughtful 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 board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI,” quoted the OpenAI board.
Altman will also have to step down from his position on the board, just like the now-former board president, Greg Brockman, who will remain at OpenAI, reporting his activities to the new interim CEO.
OpenAI appoints Mira Murati as Interim CEO
Mira Murati, OpenAI’s Chief Technology Officer, has been appointed as the interim CEO after the dismissal of Sam Altman. Murati has been part of OpenAI’s leadership team for over 5 years and has played a crucial role in the company’s evolution to achieve its goals as a leading entity in the artificial intelligence sector.
The board highlighted Murati’s commitment and extensive experience in leading the company’s new vision, apparently not aligned with the plans of its founder and former CEO, Sam Altman.
“Mira has played a critical role in OpenAI’s evolution into a global AI leader. She brings a unique skill set, understanding of the company’s values, operations, and business and already leads the company’s research, product, and safety functions. Given her long tenure and close engagement with all aspects of the company, including her experience in AI governance and policy, the board believes she is uniquely qualified for the role and anticipates a seamless transition while it conducts a formal search for a permanent CEO,” stated OpenAI’s release.
It’s worth noting that most of OpenAI’s board is independent and does not hold stakes in the company. Beyond economic interests, the board seeks “to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all humanity” without violating privacy rights.
OpenAI expressed gratitude for Sam Altman’s commitment to the company
The board thanked Altman for his commitment to the foundation and growth of OpenAI, emphasizing that it is time to move forward with new leadership. “We are grateful for Sam’s many contributions to the founding and growth of OpenAI. At the same time, we believe new leadership is necessary as we move forward,” noted the board of directors.
Sam Altman was not the only one affected by the unexpected dismissal from OpenAI, as the Worldcoin (WLD) token, a biometric cryptocurrency project with iris recognition developed by Altman and his company Tools for Humanity, dropped more than 10% after the news was released, trading at daily lows of $1.87 at the time of writing this note.
