From building to departure: Breakdown of Sam Altman’s exit from OpenAI

OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman has been sacked as the CEO of the OpenAI on Friday. According to the sources, Sam Altman came to know about this news during an unexpected Google Meet with the board members, excluding Greg Brockman, another co-founder and board President of OpenAI, who received the news separately.

According to a tweet from Brockman, the sequence of events unfolded rapidly. Last night, Altman received a text from Ilya Sutskever, and a Google Meet was scheduled for noon the next day. In the meeting, Altman was informed of his termination, with the news set to be made public imminently. Ilya Sutskever FRS is a Russian-born Israeli-Canadian computer scientist who co-founded and serves as Chief Scientist of OpenAI.

Greg Brockman removed from OpenAI’s board

Simultaneously, Greg Brockman received a text from Sutskever, followed by a Google Meet link. During the call, Brockman came to know that he was being removed from the board but would retain his role within the company. 

However, Brockman resigned from his position shortly after he came to know about the news of his removal from the board and Altman’s sacking. Brockman shared his resignation message in a tweet which read, 

“Hi everyone, I'm super proud of what we've all built together since starting in my apartment 8 years ago. we've been through tough & great times together, accomplishing so much despite all the reasons it should have been impossible. But based on today's news, I quit. Genuinely wishing you all nothing but the best. I continue to believe in the mission of creating safe AGI that benefits all of humanity.” 

Additionally, Altman's firing was disclosed to the public and management team after OpenAI swiftly published a blog post outlining these changes.

The management team, with the exception of Mira Murati, Chief Technical Officer of OpenAI, was reportedly made aware shortly after the board decision, shedding light on the internal dynamics and communication channels within the organisation. As per the official announcement, Mira Murati has been appointed as interim CEO of OpenAI. Murati has also worked for Elon Musk’s Tesla before joining OpenAI in 2018. 

Support from tech community

The news has triggered an outpouring of support for Altman and Brockman from colleagues, customers, and investors. Despite the sudden and unexpected nature of the developments, the founders expressed gratitude for the support received and assured the public that they would navigate through this transition.

In the tweet Brockman mentioned that he is optimistic about their future endeavours, hinting at "greater things coming soon." As the OpenAI community grapples with this surprising shift in leadership, questions arise about the underlying reasons for Altman's removal and the potential implications for the organization's future trajectory.

Altman has also reacted to the support he is getting on social media platforms. Sharing his gratitude, Altman tweets, “I love you all. today was a weird experience in many ways. but one unexpected one is that it has been sorta like reading your own eulogy while you’re still alive. The outpouring of love is awesome.”

Lex Fridman, Host of Lex Fridman Podcast who is also one of the leading voices in AI space, expressed his surprise hearing the news of Altman’s sacking. 

Sam Altman out at OpenAI 🤯 

This feels like a big deal.

— Lex Fridman (@lexfridman)

No longer confident in Altman’s capability to lead OpenAI

In the official blog post shared by OpenAI, the organisation accused Sam Altman of inconsistent and non-candid communication with the board. OpenAI also called out Altman for hindering the board’s ability to exercise its responsibilities.

“Sam 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, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities. The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI.”

OpenAI is yet to share any detailed insights into the decision, leaving the tech, crypto, and global economy spheres eagerly awaiting further developments and clarification on this abrupt change in the company's leadership structure.