© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Sam Altman, CEO of Microsoft-backed OpenAI and creator of ChatGPT, speaks during a talk at Tel Aviv University in Tel Aviv, Israel, June 5, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/Photo archive
(This November 18 story was republished to correct the spelling of ‘Khosla’ in paragraph 6)
By Anna Tong, Krystal Hu and Jeffrey Dastin
(Reuters) – Sam Altman, the recently ousted CEO of OpenAI, is discussing a possible return to the company behind the ChatGPT bot even as he considers launching a new artificial intelligence (ai) company, a person briefed on the matter said on Saturday.
A day after the board fired him in a surprise move that shook the tech world, Altman was speaking to OpenAI executives about improving the company’s governance structure while arguing with some OpenAI principal researchers and others loyal to Altman how they could start a new ai company. , the person said.
The chances of a return or reboot for Altman, seen by many as the face of generative ai, are changing, said the source, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak on behalf of the parties involved.
OpenAI and Altman did not respond to requests for comment.
Investors in OpenAI, including its biggest backer, Microsoft (NASDAQ:), are discussing damage control, including possibly pressuring the board to restore Altman as CEO, fearing a mass exodus of talent without him, other sources said.
Khosla Ventures, an early backer of OpenAI, wants Altman to return to OpenAI but “will support him in everything he does next,” the fund’s founder Vinod Khosla posted on X on Saturday.
Microsoft declined to comment. He reportedly owns 49% of the company, while other investors and employees control 49%, and 2% belongs to OpenAI’s nonprofit parent company.
Emotions were running high Saturday as current and former employees were angry about Altman’s firing and worried about how an upcoming $86 billion stock sale could be affected by the sudden management upheaval.
OpenAI, a non-profit organization co-founded by billionaire Elon Musk, launched ChatGPT on November 30 last year, creating a global sensation over the generative ai technology that quickly became the fastest-growing software application in the world. . It triggered a wave of investments and announcements across industries to use ai to improve everything from financial services and healthcare to entertainment and media.
Trained with vast amounts of data, generative ai can create human-like content, helping users prepare term papers, complete science assignments, and even write entire novels. After the launch of ChatGPT, regulators rushed to catch up: the European Union revised its ai Law and the United States began efforts to regulate ai.
On Saturday, some shocked employees contemplated quitting if Altman didn’t get his job back by the end of the weekend, a source said. Others expressed support for joining Altman in starting a company, a third person familiar with the matter said.
Former OpenAI president Greg Brockman, who said he resigned from OpenAI over Altman’s firing on Friday, is expected to join any effort, according to Information, which previously reported on the potential new venture, citing a person familiar with The issue.
Brockman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment.
Some OpenAI researchers, including Szymon Sidor, left the company over the CEO change, but it was unclear whether Sidor and others would join a new Altman company, two people familiar with the matter said. Sidor confirmed his resignation.
Altman and former Apple (NASDAQ:) design chief Jony Ive have been discussing building a new artificial intelligence hardware device, Information reported in September. He reported that SoftBank (TYO ) CEO Masayoshi Son had been involved in the conversation.
Altman’s dismissal was due to a “communications failure,” not “embezzlement,” Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap wrote in an internal company memo on Saturday seen by Reuters.
technology website The Verge previously reported on OpenAI’s board talks with Altman to return as CEO. Forbes reported Saturday that investors were plotting to restore Altman as CEO.
