NEWSLETTER
CTO Mira Murati named interim CEO to lead OpenAI; Sam Altman leaves the company.
Search process underway to identify permanent successor.
The Board of Directors of OpenAI, Inc., the 501(c)(3) that serves as the overall governing body for all OpenAI activities, announced today that Sam Altman will step down as CEO and step down from the Board of Directors. Mira Murati, the company’s chief technology officer, will serve as interim CEO, effective immediately.
A member of OpenAI’s leadership team for five years, Mira has played a critical role in evolving OpenAI into a global leader in ai. She brings a unique skill set, understanding of the company’s values, operations and business, and already leads the company’s research, product and security functions. Given her long tenure and close commitment to all aspects of the company, including her experience in ai governance and policy, the board believes she is uniquely qualified for the position and anticipates a smooth transition while a formal search is underway. of a permanent executive director.
Mr. Altman’s departure follows a deliberative review process by the board, which concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, which hindered his ability to exercise his responsibilities. The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI.
In a statement, the board of directors said: “OpenAI was deliberately structured to advance our mission: to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity. The board remains fully committed to fulfilling this mission. We appreciate 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. As the leader of the company’s research, product and security functions, Mira is uniquely qualified to assume the role of interim CEO. “We have the utmost confidence in her ability to lead OpenAI during this transition period.”
OpenAI’s board of directors consists of OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, independent directors Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo, tech entrepreneur Tasha McCauley, and Helen Toner of Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technologies.
As part of this transition, Greg Brockman will step down from his role as Chairman of the Board of Directors and will remain in his position with the company, reporting to the CEO.
OpenAI was founded as a non-profit organization in 2015 with the primary mission of ensuring that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity. In 2019, OpenAI restructured to ensure the company could raise capital to achieve this mission, while preserving the nonprofit’s mission, governance, and oversight. The majority of the board is independent and the independent directors do not own shares in OpenAI. While the company has experienced spectacular growth, it remains the fundamental responsibility of the board of directors to promote OpenAI’s mission and preserve the principles of its Charter.
