Microsoft’s CEO announced early Monday morning that Sam Altman, who was ousted from artificial intelligence startup OpenAI in a surprise announcement late Friday, will be joining Microsoft.
“We are thrilled to share the news that Sam Altman and Greg Brockman will join their colleagues at Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team.” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said:.
Mr. Brockman, a close friend of Mr. Altman, said he was resigning from the board, but later completely resigned from his position as president of OpenAI in protest of Mr. Altman’s ouster.
That number could be in the hundreds, as OpenAI faces a possible employee revolt, according to reports, but it’s unclear what other former OpenAI staffers will make the jump to Microsoft. .
Mr. Altman responded to Mr. Nadella: “The mission continues.”
Microsoft shares rose more than 2% in premarket trading Monday on the news.
Nadella revealed Subsequent X posts Attleman will serve as CEO of the new group, which he says will “bring a new pace of innovation.”
“We’ve learned a lot over the years about how to give founders and innovators the space to build an independent identity and culture within Microsoft, like GitHub, Mojang Studios, and LinkedIn. We look forward to doing the same for you,” said Nadella. Added.
The Microsoft CEO seemed to remain upbeat about the turmoil at OpenAI, and the board appeared to be quietly searching for a tech whiz to replace Altman. That person is Emmett Shea, former CEO of Twitch, the live streaming service owned by Amazon.
Schier, 40, was named interim CEO of OpenAI after his 16-year stint at Twitch ended in March.
“I took this job because I believe OpenAI is one of the most important companies in existence today.” Sheer posted on X Monday morning.
After the positive response, Mr. Shear wrote: “It is clear that the process and communication surrounding Sam’s termination was handled so poorly that it seriously undermined our credibility,” he wrote, adding that “it is clear that the process and communications regarding Sam’s termination were so badly handled that it seriously undermined our credibility.” “We plan to review the process leading up to this point and produce a full report.” ”
Schier’s post capped off a whirlwind weekend that began with OpenAI announcing a shocking leadership shakeup on Friday. The board vaguely noted that Mr. Altman “was not consistently candid in his communications with the board.”
The leading AI company did not elaborate on Altman’s mistakes that led to his resignation.
Nadella said Microsoft remains “committed to our partnership with OpenAI, our product roadmap, our ability to continue to innovate on everything we announced at Microsoft Ignite, and our continued support of our customers and partners.” I am confident in what I will do.”
As CEO of OpenAI, Altman signed a $10 billion “multi-year” deal with Microsoft earlier this year, expanding a partnership that began in 2019 with just $1 billion from the big tech company.
Microsoft has so far poured $13 billion into acquiring a 49% stake in the company amid fierce competition from rivals such as Google. OpenAI is reportedly offering a package worth $10 million to lure top AI talent away from Google, which is rumored to be in talks to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in Character.AI . Reuters — An AI bot startup developed by two former Google employees.
Altman hinted just last week that OpenAI aims to develop “hyperintelligent” technology tools that are as smart as humans, and could receive further funding from top investors.
Microsoft is said to have been blindsided by this news. Tech expert Kara Swisher reports The company and other key partners “found out minutes before the release.”
The Post has reached out to Microsoft and OpenAI for comment.
Attleman became the face of the AI movement in 2015 when he co-founded the nonprofit OpenAI with Elon Musk and former PayPal CEO Peter Thiel.
But as AI gains mainstream popularity, the companies behind the technology face increased regulatory scrutiny on Capitol Hill, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle demanding enforcement of laws governing the use of AI. I’m looking for it.
Altman voiced support for federal AI regulation during an appearance on Capitol Hill in May, testifying that the rules are needed to prevent “significant harm to the world.”
Altman also raised eyebrows earlier this year when he signed a statement declaring that without proper guidance, AI is a potential existential risk on par with nuclear weapons or pandemics.
