Microsoft capitalizes on OpenAI turmoil, hires Sam Altman for AI research team
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This story is a Media Miss by the right as only 0% of the coverage is from right leaning media. Learn more about this dataLONGWORTH: COMING OFF OF A DRAMATIC WEEKEND, MICROSOFT CAPITALIZED ON THE OPENAI TURMOIL, NOW BOASTING THE STARTUP’S FORMER CEO AND PRESIDENT, ALONGSIDE A RECORD-HIGH STOCK PRICE. HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW.
SAM ALTMAN, OPENAI’S FORMER CEO, HAS ASSUMED LEADERSHIP OF A NEW ADVANCED AI RESEARCH TEAM AT MICROSOFT,
ALONG WITH HIS OPENAI CO-FOUNDER, GREG BROCKMAN.
SATYA NADELLA, MICROSOFT’S CHAIRMAN AND CEO, SHARED THE NEWS ON X, HINTING AT MORE OPENAI EMPLOYEES MAKING THE MOVE.
ALTMAN REPOSTED THAT ANNOUNCEMENT, SAYING “THE MISSION CONTINUES.”
THIS ALL STARTED ON FRIDAY, WHEN OPENAI FIRED ALTMAN, CITING THE BOARD’S CONCERNS THAT HE HAD NOT BEEN “CONSISTENTLY CANDID IN HIS COMMUNICATIONS.”
BROCKMAN RESIGNED, AND THREE SENIOR RESEARCHERS FOLLOWED SUIT.
INVESTORS REPORTEDLY PRESSED FOR ALTMAN’S RETURN, BUT NEGOTIATIONS FELL THROUGH.
INSTEAD, OPENAI HAS APPOINTED EMMETT SHEAR, THE FORMER CEO OF TWITCH, AS THE INTERIM CEO. SHEAR SAYS HE’S INITIATING AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO HIS HIRING.
ON MONDAY, WE LEARNED THAT MORE THAN 500 OPENAI EMPLOYEES SIGNED A LETTER CALLING TO REINSTATE ALTMAN AND BROCKMAN. HOWEVER, IT APPEARS THE TWO HAVE MOVED ON TO DEVELOP AI TECH FOR THEIR FORMER STARTUP’S BIGGEST INVESTOR.