In response to the dismissal of co-founder Sam Altman, a large number of OpenAI employees have threatened to leave the company and expressed interest in joining Microsoft. This move comes after an open letter signed by more than 500 workers that expressed their support for Altman’s return as CEO. The board of directors has been criticized by senior officials, including chief scientist Ilya Sutskever and top executive Mira Murati, for its decision to remove Altman from his position.
Microsoft has assured the employees that there are positions for all OpenAI employees in their new subsidiary if they decide to join. Despite this, OpenAI has appointed a new CEO, Emmett Shear, despite pressure from Microsoft and other investors to bring back Altman. Some reports suggest that Altman was fired over security concerns related to the use of AI technology.
OpenAI competes with other companies like Google and Meta in the development of AI-based applications. The company has stood by its decision about Altman, maintaining that his behavior and lack of transparency undermined the board’s ability to effectively oversee the company. However, Shear denied these reports and stated that he is committed to ensuring that OpenAI continues its mission of advancing artificial intelligence research and development.