Over 600 staff members call for the board’s resignation following the unexpected dismissal of the CEO
The company behind ChatGPT is facing a crisis as a large number of OpenAI staff members have issued a collective ultimatum. They are threatening a mass resignation unless the business’s board reinstates the ousted CEO, Sam Altman, and resigns from their positions. In an open letter signed by almost all 700 employees of OpenAI, the demand for the board’s resignation is clear, with a warning that a substantial number of employees may leave if Altman is not reinstated. Altman’s sudden termination on Friday has sent shockwaves through Silicon Valley, causing unrest among the company’s workforce and prompting other tech companies to be on high alert for a potential loss of talent.
In a letter addressed to the four remaining board directors of OpenAI on Monday, it was stated, “Your recent actions have clearly demonstrated your incapacity to effectively oversee OpenAI. We cannot collaborate with individuals who exhibit a lack of competence, judgment, and concern for our mission and employees.” As of now, the board members have not provided any public comments on the matter.
The letter also mentioned that the signatories had the option to join Sam Altman and OpenAI’s former president, Greg Brockman, at Microsoft. This option arose after Microsoft announced on Monday that it had recruited the duo to lead a new AI research unit. However, on Monday evening, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stated that he was open to Altman either remaining at OpenAI or joining Microsoft. Regardless of the outcome, Nadella emphasized the need for a change in OpenAI’s governance structure, given that Microsoft is the largest shareholder in the organization.
The employees expressed their stance in the letter, stating, “We, the undersigned, may opt to resign from OpenAI and join the recently announced Microsoft subsidiary led by Sam Altman and Greg Brockman. We will take this step promptly unless all current board members resign and reinstate Sam Altman and Greg Brockman.” This letter was initially reported by Wired and journalist Kara Swisher.
Following the public revelation of the letter, OpenAI employees took to Twitter, posting messages like “OpenAI is nothing without its people” as a demonstration of solidarity. One AI researcher, Noam, shared on X: “Everyone at @OpenAI is united. This is not a civil war. Unless Sam and Greg are brought back, there will be no OpenAI left to govern.”
OpenAI, originally established as a non-profit entity, oversees a commercial subsidiary that, until Friday, was under Altman’s leadership. The 38-year-old Altman gained global recognition as an executive due to the success of ChatGPT, the AI text-generating system that quickly amassed 100 million users following its launch in November of the previous year.
The non-profit board currently comprises four individuals: Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI’s chief scientist; Adam D’Angelo, the co-founder of Quora; Tasha McCauley, a tech entrepreneur; and Helen Toner, a director at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology.
In a unexpected turn of events, Sutskever seemed to endorse his own departure from the board by becoming one of the signatories of the open letter.
Shear refuted any connection between Altman’s departure and concerns about safety at the company in a post on X. The success of ChatGPT has triggered apprehensions among experts, politicians, and tech professionals who fear that AI companies are engaged in a competitive race that could lead to the development of systems capable of eluding human control.
In a surprising statement on Friday, the OpenAI board announced Altman’s termination, citing his failure to be “consistently candid in his communications” without providing further details.
Sutskever appended his signature to the letter and expressed regret on Monday for his role in Altman’s departure. In a post on X, he stated, “I deeply regret my involvement in the board’s actions. I never intended to harm OpenAI. I love everything we’ve built together, and I will do everything I can to reunite the company.” Altman and Brockman responded with heart emojis, and many signatories of the letter followed suit, indicating a potential resolution.
The hiring of Altman also highlights Microsoft’s association with OpenAI, where it holds a 49% stake and has supported the organization with a substantial multibillion-dollar investment. According to Dan Ives, an analyst at the U.S. financial services firm Wedbush Securities, Altman continues to exert control over OpenAI.