Ousted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and former president Greg Brockman joined executives at the company’s San Francisco headquarters on Sunday after interim CEO Mira Murati told staff she invited Altman , The Information reported on Sunday.
Altman is discussing a possible return to the company behind the ChatGPT bot even as he considers launching a new artificial intelligence company, Reuters reported on Sunday.
On Friday, the company’s board of directors fired Altman, who to many was the human face of generative AI, sending shockwaves through the tech industry.
OpenAI declined to comment to Reuters on the details of The Information’s report.
Altman posted an image of himself wearing an OpenAI guest badge on messaging platform
Altman’s firing angered current and former employees and worried them about how an upcoming $86 billion stock sale could be affected by the sudden management upheaval.
Former OpenAI president and co-founder Brockman also arrived at the office on Sunday, The Information reported.
Brockman had left the board as chairman as part of the management change and announced Friday that he was resigning from the company.
OpenAI, a non-profit organization co-founded by billionaire Elon Musk, launched ChatGPT on November 30 last year, creating a global sensation over the generative AI technology that quickly became the fastest-growing software application in the world. .
It triggered a wave of investments and announcements across industries to use AI to improve everything from financial services and healthcare to entertainment and media.
Trained with vast amounts of data, generative AI can create human-like content, helping users prepare term papers, complete science assignments, and even write entire novels.
After the launch of ChatGPT, regulators rushed to catch up: the European Union revised its AI Law and the United States began efforts to regulate AI.
On Saturday, some shocked employees contemplated quitting if Altman didn’t get his job back by the end of the weekend, a source said. Others expressed support for joining Altman in starting a company, a third person familiar with the matter said.
Some OpenAI researchers, including Szymon Sidor, left the company over the CEO change, but it was unclear whether Sidor and others would join a new Altman company, two people familiar with the matter said. Sidor confirmed his resignation.
Altman and former Apple design chief Jony Ive have been discussing building a new AI hardware device, Information reported in September. He reported that SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son had been involved in the conversation.
Altman’s dismissal was due to a “communications failure,” not “embezzlement,” Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap wrote in an internal company memo on Saturday that was seen by Reuters.
Technology website The Verge previously reported on OpenAI’s board talks with Altman to return as CEO. Forbes reported Saturday that investors were plotting to restore Altman as CEO.
