Microsoft has hired Sam Altman and another key member of OpenAI for a new project following their unexpected departures, causing a stir in the artificial intelligence community. The CEO of ChatGPT, who was just recently appointed, has promised to look into Altman’s dismissal in an attempt to ease tensions.

On Monday, there were significant updates following a weekend filled with excitement and uncertainty about the power dynamics at OpenAI. The organization’s chatbot was responsible for launching the generative AI era by creating content that is similar to human-produced text, images, video, and music.

Emmett Shear, the previous leader of Twitch, became the interim CEO of OpenAI, while Microsoft revealed their decision to hire Altman and Greg Brockman, co-founder and former President of OpenAI, to head their advanced AI research team.

Although there is a disagreement between the main individuals involved in ChatGPT and the business they contributed to developing, both Shear and Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella have stated their dedication to their collaboration.

Microsoft invested billions of dollars in the startup and helped provide the computing power to run its AI systems. Nadella wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was “extremely excited” to bring on the former executives of OpenAI and looked “forward to getting to know” Shear and the rest of the management team.

On X, Altman stated “the mission will carry on,” while Brockman announced, “We will create something new and it will be amazing.”

On Friday, OpenAI announced that Altman was removed from his position due to a review that revealed he was not consistently honest when communicating with the board of directors. The board had lost trust in his ability to effectively lead the company.

On Monday, in a post on X, Shear stated that he intends to employ an impartial investigator to examine the events that led to Altman’s removal and produce a report within a period of 30 days.

Shear, who co-founded Twitch, a popular livestreaming service for video gamers owned by Amazon, expressed that the handling of Sam’s removal has severely harmed our trust due to poor processes and communication.

He stated his intention to revamp the management and leadership team in the upcoming month to create a strong and efficient force, following recent departures. He also plans to communicate with employees, investors, and customers.

Following this, Shear stated that he would be implementing changes within the organization, including altering the governance if needed. He clarified that the board’s decision to remove Altman was not due to a specific disagreement regarding safety, which is likely in regards to the discussions surrounding OpenAI’s goal to develop AI that surpasses human intelligence while also ensuring safety.

Last week, OpenAI did not provide answers regarding Altman’s alleged dishonesty. The company’s statement mentioned that his actions were impeding the board’s ability to fulfill its duties. However, one of the main reasons for the recent changes within the company, co-founder, chief scientist, and board member Ilya Sutskever expressed remorse for the situation in a post on X on Monday: “I am deeply sorry for my involvement in the board’s decisions. My intention was never to harm OpenAI. I have great pride in everything we have achieved together and will work towards reuniting the company.”

On Monday, OpenAI did not respond to emails requesting a comment. A representative from Microsoft stated that the company would not be providing any additional comments aside from the statement made by its CEO.

Following his departure on Friday, Altman sparked rumors of a potential return through a series of tweets. This included a photo of him wearing an OpenAI guest pass on Sunday, where he stated that it would be his “first and last time” wearing one.

Earlier that day, he posted on Twitter, expressing his love for the OpenAI team. This tweet received heart replies from Brockman, who left after Altman’s termination, and Mira Murati, the chief technology officer of OpenAI who was originally appointed as interim CEO.

The events that occurred between Murati being announced as interim and Shear’s hiring on Friday are unclear. However, on Monday, Murati and other employees tweeted, “OpenAI is only as strong as its employees.” Altman responded to many of these tweets with heart emojis.

Shear explained that he resigned from his position as CEO of Twitch due to the arrival of his 9-month-old son, but accepted the position at OpenAI because he sees it as one of the most crucial companies in existence.

In a June podcast, his thoughts on the future of AI were discussed. Shear expressed overall positivity towards technology, but also raised concerns about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence surpassing human intelligence and pursuing harmful goals.

Shear stated in June that in order to succeed in a world where we create an AI more intelligent than humans, we must build smaller AIs and have a large number of intelligent individuals working on the problem with urgency.

Altman has consistently encountered this problem ever since he played a significant role in propelling ChatGPT to worldwide recognition. Over the last year, he has become the most highly sought-after figure in Silicon Valley when it comes to discussing the possibilities and risks of artificial intelligence.

Earlier this year, he embarked on a global journey to engage with government leaders. He garnered immense attention at public gatherings, where he addressed the dangers of AI and efforts to control this developing technology.

On Friday, Altman shared on X that he greatly enjoyed his time at openai. He also later described his departure as a strange experience.

According to analyst Daniel Ives from Wedbush Securities, if Altman had left Microsoft, he would have had options to work for other tech companies such as Amazon, Google, Apple, and many others who are eager to have a leading figure in AI on their teams.

According to Ives, Microsoft has gained a stronger foothold in the field of AI. The company’s stocks saw an increase of almost 2% prior to the market opening and are approaching a record high on Monday.

Source: voanews.com