No Hard Feelings: Sam Altman Reflects on OpenAI Departure

Sam Altman, co-founder of OpenAI, has resumed his role as CEO of the company following a turbulent period that saw his unexpected dismissal and subsequent reinstatement. The reasons behind these events have left many curious, but Altman chose not to disclose the initial cause during an interview with The Verge. Despite this, he expressed his happiness at returning to the company and highlighted that the matter is still being investigated. Altman advised directing any further inquiries to the OpenAI board rather than himself.

When The Verge questioned his initial feelings about OpenAI’s return offer, Altman admitted he was hurt and angry and didn’t want to entertain the idea.

“Honestly, I was hurt and angry and thought this is fucked up. It took me a few minutes to get over it and get over the ego and the emotions. Then pretty much immediately I started thinking about how much I love the company,” said Altman.

In his blog post, Altman especially thanked OpenAI’s founder and former board member Ilja Sutskever. Despite Sutskever’s alleged involvement in Altman’s firing, Altman has “zero ill will” and describes him as a “guiding light” and a “gem of a person”. There are discussions about Sutskever’s continued contribution to OpenAI, even though he will not retain a position in the new board.

Enhanced role of Microsoft

A notable change in OpenAI’s management concerns Microsoft, which is the company’s largest financial backer, with investments exceeding $10 billion. Despite its previous limited control, Altman revealed that Microsoft would now secure a silent observer position on OpenAI’s new board. This change marks Microsoft’s more direct involvement in shaping the strategic decisions and direction of the AI company, which corresponds to the ongoing collaboration between the two entities.