Speaking at the New York Times DealBook Summit shortly before the announcement, OpenAI co-founder Elon Musk expressed concerns about Altman and questioned why Sutskever voted to fire him. “Either this was a serious thing and we should know what it is, or it’s not a serious thing and the board should resign,” Musk said. “I have mixed feelings about Sam, it’s true.”
In an article on X confirming his resignation, Toner said the decision to remove Altman was not about AI safety. “Let me be clear: Our decision was about the board’s ability to effectively oversee the company, which was our role and responsibility,” Toner said. wrote. “While there has been speculation, we were not motivated by a desire to slow down OpenAI’s work.”
The New York Times previously reported that one of the reasons for the tensions between Altman and the board was a research paper written by Toner criticizing the company’s approach to AI security.
Toner also said an investigation would be conducted as part of the deal to bring Altman back. “A lot has been written over the last two weeks; much more will surely be said,” she wrote on X.
Microsoft’s non-voting seat on OpenAI’s board comes after the cloud giant’s CEO, Satya Nadella, expressed disapproval over how Altman was removed from the AI developer. “We’re never going to be in a situation again where we’re surprised like this,” he said during a joint episode of the TV show. Rotate And With Kara Swisher podcasts last week, as Altman attempted to negotiate his return.
The 11-page bylaws established by OpenAI Inc. in January 2016 give board members the exclusive right to elect and remove other directors and also determine the size of the board. They do not mention “observer” seats. But the board of directors may establish advisory committees to which it may appoint directors or non-directors. Advisory committees can make recommendations, with the board of directors retaining ultimate authority.
Microsoft’s new oversight could provide it with significant visibility and influence over future OpenAI board decisions. The company first invested in OpenAI in 2019, providing $1 billion, but after the launch of ChatGPT, it expanded its commitment to $13 billion. Microsoft has integrated OpenAI technology into its Bing search engine and the Copilot AI assistant is added to its productivity tools. Microsoft declined to comment on its new board seat.
Altman’s memo said OpenAI’s immediate priorities would be to complete its board of directors, continue to deploy and improve its products, and advance its research while “investing in our comprehensive security efforts.”
Additional reporting by Paresh Dave.
Updated 11/20/2023 10:25 PM EST: This article has been updated to reflect that Microsoft declined to comment.
Updated 11/29/2023, 9:10 p.m. EST: This article has been updated with additional information about OpenAI’s structure and Altman’s memo.
