OpenAI made a surprising announcement after Sam Altman departed as the CEO and member of the board of directors, citing the board's lack of confidence in his leadership.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during the OpenAI DevDay event on November 06, 2023 in San Francisco, California
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OpenAI Transitions Under New Leadership
Effective immediately, chief technology officer Mira Murati will serve as the interim CEO, as per OpenAI's official announcement. Moreover, the company also revealed that it will do a search process to find a permanent successor for the position.
Murati has been part of the company for five years and has severed a critical role in the development of OpenAI. Her long tenure and close engagement with various aspects of the company made her the top choice for the board to replace Altman.
As the company moves forward, OpenAI believes that new leadership is necessary to support the company's growth. "As the leader of the company's research, product, and safety functions, Mira is exceptionally qualified to step into the role of interim CEO," the company wrote.
Meanwhile, the company assured that despite its "dramatic growth," OpenAI remains truthful to its fundamental governance responsibility of the board to pursue its mission and preserve its charter.
Altman's Departure Surprised Many
In the official statement, the company detailed that the decision had gone under a deliberative review process by the board. The review concluded that Altman had not been consistent in his communications and the board "no longer has the confidence in his ability."
While the company openly thanked Altman's contribution over the past years, it was clearly not enough to let him stay in the position. Altman shared his thoughts through an X post, describing his time at OpenAI as "transformative."
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.
🫡— Sam Altman (@sama) November 17, 2023
As part of the transition, OpenAI's president Greg Brockman will be stepping down as the chairman of the board. However, he will remain in his role and will be reporting to the CEO.
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