After a chaotic few days at OpenAI, Microsoft has enlisted ousted CEO Sam Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman to helm a pioneering advanced AI research team. This development comes hot on the heels of Altman’s sudden exit from OpenAI, which was triggered by the board’s loss of confidence in his leadership capabilities.
While weekend negotiations aimed at potentially reinstating Altman at OpenAI proved unsuccessful, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella seized the opportunity to make a game-changing announcement. Nadella expressed immense excitement, stating, “We’re extremely thrilled to announce that Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, along with their colleagues, will be joining Microsoft to spearhead a new advanced AI research team.”
Altman, a pivotal force in OpenAI’s establishment, renowned for his contributions to generative artificial intelligence, is set to assume the role of CEO within Microsoft’s advanced AI research group. Nadella’s comments on X (formerly Twitter) hinted at Microsoft’s commitment to providing founders the autonomy to carve out independent identities and cultures within the organisation, possibly indicating broader plans for the advanced AI research team.
The Microsoft team will not only feature Altman and Brockman but will also integrate essential talent from OpenAI. Jakub Pachocki, OpenAI’s director of research, is slated to take up an undisclosed leadership position, alongside OpenAI research scientist Szymon Sidor and head of preparedness Aleksander Madry.
As Altman’s bid to reclaim his position as OpenAI CEO fell through, resulting in the appointment of former Twitch CEO Emmett Shear as interim CEO, the tech industry remains on the edge of its seat. Altman’s recent exploration of a startup venture named “Tigris,” focusing on custom AI Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) chips, adds an intriguing layer to Microsoft’s move, aligning with the company’s recent advancements in custom chip development.
Microsoft underscores its unwavering commitment to OpenAI, backed by a “multibillion dollar investment” and an exclusive cloud partnership. Nadella remains confident in the ongoing partnership and eagerly anticipates collaboration with OpenAI’s freshly appointed leadership team.
In the backdrop of OpenAI employees expressing solidarity with posts declaring “OpenAI is nothing without its people” on X, the industry awaits further developments, with potential resignations looming in the wake of this transformative shift in leadership.
