Is Sam Altman joining Microsoft?
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced on Monday that Sam Altman, the former CEO of OpenAI, will be joining Microsoft to lead a new team focused on advanced AI research.
Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s co-founder and former president, along with other colleagues, will also be part of this team, according to Nadella’s post on the social media platform X.
Nadella expressed eagerness to provide the necessary resources for the success of Altman and his team. Microsoft has been a significant supporter of OpenAI, investing billions of dollars in the AI company.
Altman’s removal as CEO by the OpenAI board raised concerns about talent leaving and its potential impact on an upcoming $86 billion share sale.
Nadella reiterated Microsoft’s commitment to the partnership with OpenAI, expressing confidence in their product roadmap and the ability to innovate.
He also hinted at Emmett Shear’s reported appointment as the new OpenAI CEO, stating that they are looking forward to working with him and the new leadership team.
In a separate post on X, Shear described joining OpenAI as a rare opportunity. He emphasized the importance of OpenAI and the weight of the decision to take on the role.
The details of Altman’s firing from OpenAI on Friday remain unclear. The announcement cited a lack of “candor” with the board as the reason, but Brockman provided more details on X, stating that Altman learned about his firing just minutes before it was made public. There were suggestions of a disagreement with the research division led by another co-founder, Ilya Sutskever.
Moving too Fast?
Reports indicate tension between Altman, who advocated for more aggressive AI development, and the OpenAI board, which favored a more cautious approach.
Altman’s push for faster product development conflicted with concerns about the risks of AI, even though he had urged caution in public forums.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Altman’s departure, Microsoft remains committed to its investment in OpenAI, with Altman and Brockman leading a new AI research team at Microsoft.