OpenAI staff ‘threaten to quit over ousting of Sam Altman’

20 November 2023, 15:14

Sam Altman
PA-74419769 Cropped (1). Picture: PA

A letter signed by around 500 members of staff says they will quit unless the firm’s board resigns and reinstates Mr Altman as CEO, it is reported.

Around 500 employees at OpenAI have signed a letter demanding the company’s board resigns and reinstates dismissed chief executive Sam Altman, it has been reported.

According to Wired, staff at the AI firm behind ChatGPT who have signed the letter have threatened to quit and join Mr Altman in his new venture at Microsoft unless he is allowed to return to the company.

The report says the letter claims the board’s decision to remove Mr Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman has jeopardised the company’s work and accuses the board of not having the competence to oversee the company.

It calls for the board to resign and be replaced by two new lead independent directors, and adds that if their demands are not met, those who have signed the letter may choose to resign from the company and join Mr Altman and Mr Brockman in their new AI research team at Microsoft – which announced Mr Altman would be joining the company on Monday.

According to reports, the letter has been signed by several senior members of staff at OpenAI, including Ilya Sutskever, the company’s chief technology officer and one of the board members at the centre of the decision to initially remove Mr Altman.

Mr Sutskever has since posted to X, formerly Twitter, that he “deeply regrets” his participation in the board’s action and that he would “do everything I can to reunite the company”.

The demands from staff continue an extraordinary few days for the company, which announced the shock decision to dismiss Mr Altman on Friday, with the board saying in a statement it “no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI”, but not revealing any specific reasons for his dismissal.

However, reports emerged over the weekend suggesting Mr Altman was in discussions with OpenAI about quickly returning as chief executive, but these talks were said to have broken down on Sunday, before Microsoft – OpenAI’s largest investor – announced Mr Altman was joining a new advanced AI research team at the company in a post on Monday morning.

OpenAI has since offered the chief executive role to former Twitch boss Emmett Shear, who said he had agreed to join the company.

A number of OpenAI staff took to social media on Monday to post the same message: “OpenAI is nothing without its people”, in a first sign of ongoing discontent inside the firm.

By Press Association

More Technology News

See more More Technology News

People ride an upward escalator next to the Dior store at the Icon Siam shopping mall on June 12, 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Luxury fashion giant Dior latest high-profile retailer to be hit by cyber attack as customer data accessed

A plane spotter with binoculars from behind watching a British Airways plane landing

‘Flying taxis’ could appear in UK skies as early as 2028, minister says

Apple App Store

Take on Apple and Google to boost UK economy, think tank says

A survey of more than 1,000 employers found that around one in eight thought AI would give them a competitive edge and would lead to fewer staff.

One in three employers believe AI will boost productivity, research finds

Hands on a laptop showing an AI search

One in three employers believe AI will boost productivity, research finds

Music creators and politicians take part in a protest calling on the Government to ditch plans to allow AI tech firms to steal their work without payment or permission opposite the Houses of Parliament in London.

Creatives face a 'kind-of apocalyptic moment’ over AI concerns, minister says

Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary on Lake Victoria, Uganda

Chimps use medicinal plants to treat each other's wounds and practice 'self-care' as scientists hail fascinating discovery

Close up of a person's hands on the laptop keyboard

Ofcom investigating pornography site over alleged Online Safety Act breaches

The Monzo app on a smartphone

Monzo customers can cancel bank transfers if they quickly spot an error

Co-op sign

Co-op to re-stock empty shelves as it recovers from major hack

The study said that it was often too easy for adult strangers to pick out girls online and send them unsolicited messages.

Social media platforms are failing to protect women and girls from harm, new research reveals

Peter Kyle leaves 10 Downing Street, London

Government-built AI tool used to cut admin work for human staff

In its last reported annual headcount in June 2024, Microsoft employed 228,000 full-time workers

Microsoft axes 6,000 jobs despite strong profits in recent quarters

Airbnb logo

Airbnb unveils revamp as it expands ‘beyond stays’ to challenge hotel sector

A car key on top of a Certificate of Motor Insurance and Policy Schedule

Drivers losing thousands to ghost broker scams – the red flags to watch out for

Marks and Spencer cyber attack

M&S customers urged to ‘stay vigilant’ for fraud after data breach confirmed