The technology world was shaken by the recent news of Sam Altman getting fired by the OpenAI board. Shortly after leaving the company that Altman himself founded a couple of years ago, one of OpenAI’s biggest investors Microsoft welcomed the mastermind behind prominent AI tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E to lead a new advanced AI research team alongside Greg Brockman, the former president of OpenAI.
OpenAI drama unfolds
Altman’s departure from OpenAI came after the board made it clear they were no longer confident in his leadership. Attempts to patch things up over the weekend failed, leading to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s unexpected move. The duo of Altman and Brockman is now set to steer Microsoft’s AI research efforts in a new direction.
Leadership shuffle and interim CEO
After parting ways with Altman, OpenAI’s first move was to appoint Mira Murati as the interim CEO. Murati’s work as CTO has been important in OpenAI’s rise into a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI). She has been a member of OpenAI’s leadership team for five years, demonstrating a long tenure and in-depth knowledge of the company’s ideals, operations, and business. However, her time in the seat did not last long.
Efforts to reinstate Altman as OpenAI’s CEO hit a wall, resulting in the appointment of Emmett Shear, former Twitch CEO and co-founder, as interim CEO. Although Shear’s appointment hasn’t been officially confirmed by OpenAI, Microsoft’s swift hiring of Altman suggests changes are on the horizon for the leadership structure.
We remain committed to our partnership with OpenAI and have confidence in our product roadmap, our ability to continue to innovate with everything we announced at Microsoft Ignite, and in continuing to support our customers and partners. We look forward to getting to know Emmett…
— Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) November 20, 2023
“We’re extremely excited to share the news that Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, together with colleagues, will be joining Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team. We look forward to moving quickly to provide them with the resources needed for their success,” Nadella said in his tweet.
Nadella’s announcement sheds light on Altman’s new role at Microsoft, where he will spearhead a team dedicated to advanced AI research. The move hints at a broader vision for AI innovation at Microsoft, and Altman’s expertise is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the company’s future in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
Microsoft’s strategic move to bring Altman and Brockman on board aligns with its broader AI strategy. The company recently unveiled plans for an advanced AI research team under the leadership of the newly acquired duo. This follows hot on the heels of Microsoft’s introduction of a custom AI chip, aiming to train large language models and potentially reduce reliance on Nvidia, a key player in the field. With investments in custom silicon chips, including an Arm-based CPU for cloud workloads, Microsoft emphasizes its commitment to efficiently power Azure data centers.
the mission continues https://t.co/d1pHiFxcSe
— Sam Altman (@sama) November 20, 2023
As the tech community digests Altman’s departure from OpenAI, all eyes are on the collaboration between the visionary leader and Microsoft. OpenAI still holds a substantial investment from Microsoft, and as the exclusive cloud partner, the stage is set for a new wave of innovation and collaboration in the dynamic world of artificial intelligence.
