OpenAI's board fired Sam Altman. Over 730 staff said they may quit.
On Friday 17 November 2023 Altman joined a noon Google Meet. By Greg Brockman's account, the whole board except him was there, and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever told Altman he was being fired. The board's announcement said he "was not consistently candid in his communications with the board."
By Sunday Altman was back at OpenAI's headquarters on a green guest badge. That night Microsoft's Satya Nadella said Altman and Brockman would join Microsoft to lead a new AI research team.
Early on Monday Sutskever posted: "I deeply regret my participation in the board's actions." By the afternoon, Wired counted some 738 of around 770 employees on a letter that told the board to resign and bring Altman back, or they might leave for Microsoft. Sutskever's name was on it.
Late on Tuesday OpenAI announced an agreement in principle for Altman to return as CEO under a new initial board. Eight days later he wrote that the company had not lost a single employee.
One-minute true story. AI-generated illustration with narration by an AI voice.
If your board removed the CEO on a Friday, who would still be running the company on Monday?
What the captions say
- OpenAI's board fired Sam Altman. Over 730 staff said they may quit.
- That Friday Altman joined a noon video call. The whole board except president Greg Brockman was there, and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever told him he was fired.
- The board said he had not been consistently candid with it.
- By Sunday he was at OpenAI's headquarters on a green guest badge. "First and last time I ever wear one of these," he posted.
- That night Microsoft's Satya Nadella said Altman would join Microsoft.
- Early on Monday Sutskever wrote: "I deeply regret my participation in the board's actions."
- By Monday a staff letter told the board to resign and bring Altman back, or they might join him at Microsoft. Sutskever's name was on it.
- Late Tuesday night OpenAI agreed in principle to bring him back as chief executive.
- Five minutes later he posted: "I love OpenAI." Eight days later he wrote: "We didn't lose a single employee."
