Report: Altman talks about return to OpenAI
According to a media report, the next surprising twist is emerging in the tug-of-war over the future of chatGPT developer OpenAI. The financial service Bloomberg reported that Sam Altman, who was forced out on Friday, is in talks with the board of directors about returning to the company. It had previously been announced that Altman was going to OpenAI investor Microsoft to set up a research department. However, around 700 of OpenAI's 770 employees threatened to follow him - which would effectively mean the end of the company.
In TV interviews on Monday, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella expressed his openness to various solutions. They would work with Altman no matter where he was. According to Bloomberg, Altman could return as a member of a new transitional board of directors under one scenario.
Unclear what led to Altman's separation
Altman was ousted from the chief executive position of the company he co-founded on Friday. It was said that he had not been honest in his communication with the supervisory board. However, OpenAI never gave any details. According to Bloomberg, tech manager Emmett Shear, who was appointed as interim CEO, has now also requested information about what exactly Altman is accused of.
According to media reports, a dispute over direction at OpenAI led to Altman's departure. Some managers, such as Chief Technology Officer Ilya Sutskever, were of the opinion that Altman wanted to bring artificial intelligence software to market too quickly and with too commercial an approach. They had won over the majority of the Board of Directors. In the meantime, Sutskever also switched to the Altman camp and publicly regretted his involvement in his dismissal.
Conflict between non-profit and profit-oriented
OpenAI was founded in 2015 as a non-profit organization - with the mission of developing artificial intelligence in the interests of all. However, when it became clear that it would not be possible to raise the necessary billions in investment through donations, a for-profit company was also formed with Altman at the helm. He brought Microsoft, among others, on board as an investor and thus secured OpenAI access to the necessary computing power. However, the conflict between the two approaches grew ever deeper.
The chatbot ChatGPT can formulate sentences at the linguistic level of a human. Its release around a year ago triggered AI hype. OpenAI thus became a pioneer in the technology. Microsoft entered into a multi-billion euro pact with the company to incorporate its technology into its products. Other tech heavyweights such as Google, Amazon and the Facebook group Meta introduced competing software.
Despite the controversy surrounding his departure from OpenAI, Sam Altman is reportedly in discussions with the company's board to potentially return, possibly as a part of a transitional board under certain circumstances. This comes after Microsoft expressed its willingness to collaborate with Altman, regardless of his location.
In light of the conflict between OpenAI's non-profit and profit-oriented goals, Sam Altman, in his role as CEO, prioritized commercializing AI software at a faster pace, which led to disagreements within the company, including with Chief Technology Officer Ilya Sutskever.
Source: www.dpa.com
