Former OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Discusses Possible Return to Lead Company That Created ChatGPT

Sam Altman, the just-fired CEO of OpenAI, is discussing a possible return to helm the company behind ChatGPT, even as he also considers launching a new artificial intelligence (AI) firm, a person with knowledge of the matter said on Saturday , quoted by the Reuters agency, informs News.ro.

A day after the board fired him in a surprise move that rocked the tech world, Sam Altman was speaking with OpenAI executives about improving the company’s governance structure while talking to some of OpenAI’s core researchers and others close to about how he might start a new AI company, the person said, quoted by Reuters.

Return possibilities for Altman, seen by many as the epitome of generative AI, are underway, said the source, who asked not to be named because she was not authorized to speak for the parties involved.

OpenAI and Altman did not respond to requests for comment, Reuters said.

Investors in OpenAI, including its biggest backer Microsoft, are discussing “damage control,” including possibly persuading the board to reinstate Sam Altman as CEO, fearing a mass exodus of talent without him. other sources said.

Khosla Ventures, an early backer of OpenAI, wants Altman back at OpenAI, but “will support him in whatever he does next,” the fund’s founder, Vinod Khosla, wrote to X on Saturday.

Microsoft declined to comment. He reportedly owns 49% of the company, while other investors and employees control 49%, with 2% held by OpenAI’s non-profit parent entity.

Emotions ran high on Saturday as current and former employees were angered by Altman’s firing and worried about how an upcoming $86 billion stock sale could be affected by sudden management shake-ups.

ChatGPT has sparked a global sensation in generative AI technology

OpenAI, a non-profit organization co-founded by billionaire Elon Musk, launched ChatGPT on November 30 last year, sparking a global sensation over generative AI technology that quickly became the world’s fastest-growing software application.

It has sparked a wave of investment and announcements across industries to use AI to improve everything from financial services and healthcare to entertainment and media.

Trained on a wealth of data, generative AI can create human-like content, helping users draft papers, complete science assignments, and even write entire novels.

After the launch of ChatGPT, regulators scrambled to catch up: the European Union revised its AI Act, and the US began efforts to regulate AI.

By Saturday, some shocked employees were considering quitting if Altman was not reinstated by the end of the weekend, a source said.

Others have expressed support for joining Altman to start a new company, a third person familiar with the matter said.

Former OpenAI President Greg Brockman, who said he quit OpenAI in the wake of Altman’s firing on Friday, is expected to join any effort, according to Information, which previously reported on the possible new deal, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Brockman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

OpenAI also did not respond to a request for comment.

Some OpenAI researchers, including Szymon Sidor, have left the company because of the CEO change, but it is unclear whether Sidor and others will join Altman’s new firm, two people familiar with the matter said. Sidor confirmed the resignation.

Altman and former Apple design chief Jony Ive discussed building a new hardware device for AI, Information reported in September. The publication wrote that SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son was involved in the discussions.

Altman’s ouster was prompted by “communication breakdowns,” not “wrongdoing,” Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap wrote in an internal company memo on Saturday that was seen by Reuters.

The Verge website previously reported on the OpenAI board’s discussions with Altman to return as CEO.

Forbes reported Saturday that investors are plotting to reinstate Altman as CEO.

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