Microsoft hiring former OpenAI CEO who was fired 3 days ago: The Morning Rundown, Nov. 20, 2023

TODAY IS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

BREAKING NEWS THIS MORNING FROM THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INDUSTRY – MICROSOFT HAS ANNOUNCED IT WILL BE HIRING SAM ALTMAN — THE FORMER CEO OF OPENAI – THE PARENT COMPANY OF CHAT-G-P-T — TO LEAD A NEW ADVANCED AI RESEARCH TEAM – CAPPING A WHIRLWIND OF A WEEKEND IN THE WORLD OF AI.

MICROSOFT’S MOVE COMES JUST HOURS AFTER REPORTS SAY OPENAI’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS SENT A NOTE TO EMPLOYEES SAYING ALTMAN WOULD NOT BE RETURNING TO THE AI STARTUP AFTER BEING OUSTED FROM HIS POSITION ON FRIDAY.

MICROSOFT – WHO IS OPENAI’S BIGGEST INVESTOR – WILL ALSO BE BRINGING TO THEIR NEW TEAM GREG BROCKMAN – OPENAI’S FORMER PRESIDENT AND CO-FOUNDER – WHO QUIT THE COMPANY AFTER ALTMAN’S FIRING.

ACCORDING TO REPORTS – OPENAI’S BOARD HAS SELECTED EMMETT SHEAR – THE FORMER CEO OF THE LIVE STREAMING SERVICE TWITCH – TO REPLACE ALTMAN.

OPENAI’S BOARD RELEASED A STATEMENT AFTER LETTING ALTMAN GO WHICH SAID THE FORMER CEO QUOTE “WAS NOT CONSISTENTLY CANDID IN HIS COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE BOARD, HINDERING ITS ABILITY TO EXERCISE ITS RESPONSIBILITIES. THE BOARD NO LONGER HAS CONFIDENCE IN HIS ABILITY TO CONTINUE LEADING OPENAI.”

THOUGH NO SPECIFIC INCIDENTS INVOLVING ALTMAN WERE GIVEN – THE STATEMENT SAID ALTMAN HAD “LOST THE TRUST OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.”

OPENAI RELEASED ITS CHATBOT – CHATGPT – ALMOST ONE YEAR – BRINGING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INTO THE MAINSTREAM CONVERSATION – AND WITH IT—DEBATES OVER THE TECHNOLOGY’S BENEFITS AND DANGERS.

ACCORDING TO CNN – A FACTOR IN ALTMAN’S OUSTER WAS DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE FORMER CEO AND THE BOARD OVER THE FUTURE OF AI – WHERE ALTMAN WAS SEEKING MORE AGGRESSIVE DEVELOPMENTS – AND THE BOARD WAS LOOKING TO BE MORE CAUTIOUS IN THE COMPANY’S APPROACH.

THIS MORNING — THE NATION CONTINUES TO REMEMBER THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF FORMER FIRST LADY ROSALYNN CARTER WHO PASSED AWAY ON SUNDAY AT THE AGE OF 96.

THE CARTER CENTER ANNOUNCED ROSALYNN CARTER DIED WHILE SURROUNDED BY LOVED ONES AT THE CARTER HOME IN PLAINS, GEORGIA.

ROSALYNN WAS DIAGNOSED WITH DEMENTIA IN MAY AND CONTINUED TO LIVE OUT HER FINAL MONTHS AT HOME WITH HER HUSBAND, FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER.

THE FORMER PRESIDENT SAID IN A STATEMENT QUOTE:

“ROSALYNN WAS MY EQUAL PARTNER IN EVERYTHING I EVER ACCOMPLISHED. SHE GAVE ME WISE GUIDANCE AND ENCOURAGEMENT WHEN I NEEDED IT. AS LONG AS ROSALYNN WAS IN THE WORLD, I ALWAYS KNEW SOMEBODY LOVED AND SUPPORTED ME.”

DURING HER TIME IN THE WHITE HOUSE – THE CARTERS RELATIONSHIP WAS SOMETHING THE AMERICAN PUBLIC HAD NOT SEEN FROM A PRESIDENT AND FIRST LADY – ROSALYNN CARTER WOULD SPEAK HER MIND TO THE PRESIDENT – AND SIT IN ON CABINET  MEETINGS.

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN AND FIRST LADY JILL BIDEN COMMEMORATED ROSALYNN CARTER — CALLING HER A CHAMPION FOR EQUAL RIGHTS, MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS, AND A SUPPORTER OF CAREGIVERS LOOKING AFTER CHILDREN AGING LOVED ONES AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.

A DEAL ARRANGED BY THE UNITED STATES — BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS — TO FREE DOZENS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN BEING HELD CAPTIVE IN GAZA IS CLOSER TO BEING STRUCK – ACCORDING TO THE WASHINGTON POST AND OTHER NEWS OUTLETS.

THE REPORTED AGREEMENT WOULD SEE A FIVE-DAY PAUSE IN THE FIGHTING.

ACCORDING TO SOURCES FAMILIAR WITH THE DEAL — BOTH SIDES WOULD CEASE COMBAT OPERATIONS FOR AT LEAST FIVE DAYS WHILE 50 PLUS HOSTAGES WOULD BE RELEASED IN SMALL GROUPS EVERY 24 HOURS.

ISRAELI OFFICIALS SAY NEARLY 240 PEOPLE WERE TAKEN HOSTAGE DURING HAMAS‘ OCTOBER 7TH TERROR ATTACK.

THE WASHINGTON POST REPORTS THAT OVERHEAD SURVEILLANCE WILL CONTINUE TO HELP ENFORCE THE PAUSE IN FIGHTING –

THE U.S.-BROKERED DEAL WOULD ALSO ALLOW FOR SIGNIFICANT HUMANITARIAN AID TO ENTER GAZA IN THAT TIME FRAME.

U.S. DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JON FINER TOLD ABC NEWS ON SUNDAY – NEGOTIATIONS HAVE “REACHED A VERY SENSITIVE STAGE” AND SOME AREAS OF DISAGREEMENT THAT HAVE PREVENTED A DEAL IN THE PAST HAVE “NARROWED.”

THE ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE U-S MICHAEL HERZOG SAID HE’S HOPEFUL A DEAL CAN BE MADE IN THE “COMING DAYS.”

MORE ADVERTISERS HAVE PAUSED SPENDING ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM “X” OVER THE WEEKEND – AS BACKLASH FROM A SOCIAL MEDIA COMMENT BY OWNER ELON MUSK LAST WEEK CONTINUES TO UNFOLD.

WARNER BROTHERS, DISCOVERY AND SONY ARE THE LATEST COMPANIES TO PAUSE THEIR ADS – FOLLOWING SIMILAR MOVES BY IBM, APPLE, LIONSGATE AND PARAMOUNT GLOBAL.

THE SPENDING FREEZE IS IN RESPONSE TO MUSK RESPONDING TO AN X USER’S COMMENT THAT INCLUDED AN ANTI-SEMITIC CONSPIRACY THEORY.

– MUSK REPLIED TO THAT POST BY SAYING QUOTE “YOU HAVE SAID THE ACTUAL TRUTH.”

MUSK’S COMMENT NOT ONLY RESULTED IN RESPONSE FROM MAJOR ADVERTISERS – BUT ALSO FROM THE WHITE HOUSE – WHO SAID IT WAS “UNACCEPTABLE TO REPEAT THE HIDEOUS LIE…AT ANY TIME, LET ALONE AFTER THE DEADLIEST DAY FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE SINCE THE HOLOCAUST”

– REFERRING TO THE TERRORIST ATTACK BY HAMAS IN ISRAEL LAST MONTH.

MUSK SPOKE OUT ON FRIDAY AGAINST ADVERTISERS WHO WERE PULLING THEIR ADS –

AND SAID X WOULD BE FILING A LAWSUIT TODAY AGAINST MEDIA MATTERS – A LIBERAL MEDIA WATCHDOG GROUP WHO ACCUSED X OF PLACING ADS NEXT TO POSTS SUPPORTING HITLER AND THE NAZI PARTY.

MUSK CALLED THE GROUP’S ALLEGATIONS A “FRAUDULENT ATTACK.”

HONDA IS RECALLING NEARLY TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND VEHICLES DUE TO A MANUFACTURING ERROR THAT MAY CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE.

THE AUTOMAKER SAID A CONNECTING ROD BEARING MAY WEAR — CAUSING THE ENGINE TO RUN IMPROPERLY OR STALL WHILE BEING DRIVEN – INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE OR CRASH.

THE RECALL APPLIES TO  CERTAIN

2015 TO 2020 ACURA T-L-X VEHICLES

2016 TO 2020 ACURA M-D-X SUVS

2017 TO 2019 RIDGELINE PICKUP TRUCKS

2018 TO 2019 ODYSSEY MINIVANS

AND 2016 – 2018 – AND 2019 PILOT SUVS.

HONDA SAID OWNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED BY MAIL IN EARLY JANUARY – DEALERS WILL REPAIR OR REPLACE THE ENGINE AS NECESSARY.

FINALLY THIS MORNING — IT’S THANKSGIVING WEEK – BEFORE YOU GATHER AROUND THE TABLE FOR THE ANNUAL FEAST – YOU MAY BE HAPPY TO HEAR THAT THIS YEAR’S HOLIDAY DINNER WILL COST A TAD LESS TO MAKE THIS YEAR THAN LAST

A TYPICAL THANKSGIVING MEAL FOR 10 PEOPLE – COMPLETE WITH ALL THE FIXINGS INCLUDING CRANBERRIES AND SWEET POTATOES — WILL COST AN AVERAGE OF SIXTY-ONE DOLLARS AND SEVENTEEN CENTS – ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION.

THAT’S DOWN FROM 2022’S SIXTY FOUR DOLLARS AND FIVE CENTS.

ONE OF THE REASONS FOR A SLIGHTLY LESS EXPENSIVE FEAST — THE DROP IN TURKEY PRICES THIS YEAR DUE TO A DECLINE IN BIRD FLU CASES – WHICH AFFECTED LAST YEAR’S TURKEY PRODUCTION.

BUT DON’T GET TOO JOLLY OVER THESE HOLIDAY FOOD PRICES –  BECAUSE THIS YEAR’S THANKSGIVING FEAST WILL STILL COST ALMOST EIGHT DOLLARS MORE THAN IN 2021 – WHEN THANKSGIVING FOR TEN WAS AROUND FIFTY THREE DOLLARS.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS MONDAY.

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UNBIASED. STRAIGHT FACTS. THAT’S STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.

UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER. HAVE A GREAT DAY!