OpenAI Investors Push for Sam Altman’s Reinstatement

Sam Altman’s ejection from OpenAI has reportedly angered some of the AI firm’s investors.

Microsoft, which has invested more than $10 billion in the artificial intelligence (AI) startup and ChatGPT creator, is leading an effort to reinstate Altman, who was forced out last week, Bloomberg News reported Sunday (Nov. 19).

The report, citing sources familiar with the matter, said Microsoft is working with investors including Thrive Capital and Tiger Global Management to bring back Altman.

Meanwhile, a report Sunday by The New York Times said Altman, 38, was in discussions with the board about coming back to the company.

Altman, who helped found OpenAI, was removed last week as the company’s chief executive and as a member of its board. The board named Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati to serve as interim CEO.

“Mr. Altman’s departure follows a deliberative review process by the board, which concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities,” the company said in a Friday (Nov. 17) blog post. “The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI.”

The news came as a surprise, arriving days after OpenAI held a developers’ day in which it shared details about its new GPT-4 Turbo AI model, which comes with expanded capabilities and knowledge, and unveiled plans to pay creators who are subscribed to the program for using GPTs they have made.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was “blindsided” and “furious” by the board’s move, an earlier Bloomberg report said.

The Times report offers a closer look at the tensions that led to Altman’s ouster, describing it as the result of a conflict between the company’s skyrocketing commercial success and calls for greater focus on AI safety.

That report — citing an internal memo — says that OpenAI employees were informed Saturday that Altman’s removal was not due to “malfeasance or anything related to our financial, business, safety or security/privacy practice.”

Altman so far has given no indication he’d want to come back.

“Today was a weird experience in many ways,” Altman wrote on X Saturday (Nov. 18). “But one unexpected one is that it has been sorta like reading your own eulogy while you’re still alive. the outpouring of love is awesome.”

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