OpenAI’s Board Restructures With Microsoft Addition Amid CEO Drama & Conflict Resolution Efforts

After the tumultuous return of Sam Altman as OpenAI’s CEO, the company has disclosed a significant development: Microsoft will now hold a non-voting observer position on its board. The inclusion of Microsoft raises questions about why the company’s largest investor wasn’t part of the board initially, though this issue appears to be partially addressed for the time being. Altman, alongside co-founder Greg Brockman, reassumes the role of President. Meanwhile, Mira Murati, who briefly served as interim CEO during the recent drama, is set to return to her position as Chief Technology Officer.

The announcement also introduces a revamped board, with former Salesforce CEO Bret Taylor as chair, former Clinton Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, and original member Adam D’Angelo, who is also the co-founder and CEO of Quora. Earlier speculations suggested that Altman’s departure was influenced by concerns over D’Angelo’s potential conflict of interest, given that OpenAI was developing a potential competitor to Quora’s Poe service, which features OpenAI’s ChatGPT and GPT-4, among other text-generating AI models.

D’Angelo’s unexpected presence on OpenAI’s new board prompted Altman to address the issue. Altman explained on X, “Quora is a large customer of OpenAI, and we found it helpful to have customer representation on our Board.” He emphasized that D’Angelo had been transparent about the potential conflict and was willing to step down from the board if necessary. Altman clarified that the friction leading to his removal from the original board stemmed from misunderstandings.

Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI co-founder and chief scientist, was reportedly a former board member involved in Altman’s ouster. Sutskever expressed regret for his role, and Altman, in his open message, stated that he harbors no ill will towards Sutskever, with efforts underway to find a way for him to continue his work at OpenAI.

As part of the official announcement, Bret Taylor, the new Chair, assured that OpenAI would “enhance the governance structure” and establish “an independent committee of the Board to oversee a review of the recent events.” This move aims to ensure the stability of the organization in the wake of recent upheavals.

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