Sam Altman’s unexpected move to Microsoft after his unexpected firing from OpenAI is still not entirely clear.
According to The Verge, Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman are still at it They are open to returning to OpenAI if the remaining board members they ousted resign.
The promised mass departure of nearly all OpenAI employees, including board member and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, who led the movement to remove Altman, means that pressure to disband the board is greater than ever.
All that is required is for two of the three remaining board members to change their minds. Altman just published this in X “We will all work together in one way or another” which seems to indicate that the fight continues.
We have more unity, commitment and focus than ever before.
We’re all going to be working together in one way or another and I’m so excited.
one team, one mission.
—Sam Altman (@sama) November 20, 2023
A source with direct knowledge of the situation noted that Altman, former CEO Greg Brockman and the company’s investors are trying to find an appropriate exit from the board and described Microsoft’s hiring announcement as a “waiting period.”
The outlook is uncertain as everything is in flux and negotiations are ongoing. The possibility of Altman and Brockman returning to OpenAI seems to depend on the change in attitude of the remaining board members. The tension and anticipation are palpable in this battle for control and the future of the company.