‘Never been more excited': Sam Altman after returning as OpenAI CEO; Microsoft gets non-voting position on board

Sam Altman has officially resumed the role of CEO at OpenAI following a recent period of intense upheaval. As part of the resolution, Microsoft has gained a non-voting observer seat on the company’s board. OpenAI’s revamped board now comprises Bret Taylor as chair, alongside Larry Summers and Adam D’Angelo, the sole remaining member from the previous board.

Microsoft holds a significant stake of 49 per cent in the for-profit arm overseen by the nonprofit board.

In an internal memo, Altman expressed no animosity towards Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI’s co-founder and chief scientist, who played a pivotal role in Altman's earlier removal.

“While Ilya will no longer serve on the board, we hope to continue our working relationship and are discussing how he can continue his work at OpenAI,” Altman wrote in the memo.

Highlighting the company's resilience, Altman assured employees, “The fact that we retained every customer will propel us to work even more diligently for you.”

“I have never been more excited about the future. I am extremely grateful for everyone’s hard work in an unclear and unprecedented situation, and I believe our resilience and spirit set us apart in the industry,” he added.

He outlined OpenAI’s commitment to advancing its research agenda and bolstering investment in comprehensive safety measures.

“Our research roadmap is clear; this was a wonderfully focusing time. I share the excitement you all feel; we will turn this crisis into an opportunity! I’ll work with Mira (Murati) on this,” Altman affirmed.

Chairman Taylor conveyed to the team their excitement at having “Sam, Mira, and OpenAI President and co-founder Greg Brockman reunited to lead the company and steer its future.”

Taylor outlined plans to assemble a competent, diverse board comprising individuals with extensive expertise aligned with OpenAI’s multifaceted mission—spanning technology, safety, and policy. He welcomed the addition of a non-voting observer from Microsoft to this Board.

Previously dismissed as CEO due to the prior board's lack of confidence in his leadership, Altman, and Brockman were subsequently recruited by Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella to aid the company in pursuing its ambitions in advanced AI through a new vertical.

Also Read ChatGPT turns 1: Here are all the fun ways you can use OpenAI’s popular chatbot