Breaking News: OpenAI Announces New Board, with Major Repercussions and Unresolved Questions
Following the unceremonious ousting of CEO Sam Altman on November 17th, 2023, OpenAI has named a new board of directors. However, this transition appears to be the start of a new saga for the company rather than the end. The new board includes Bret Taylor, the president and COO of Salesforce as the chair, Larry Summers, a professor at Harvard University, and Adam D’Angelo, the CEO of Quora. The former board, with the exception of Altman and president Greg Brockman, claimed to lose confidence in Altman’s ability, sending shockwaves through the tech industry.
In the 12-day period that followed, multiple twists and turns ensued. There were reports of staff pledging to quit, resurfaced controversial tweets, and speculation about a breakthrough in OpenAI’s AI development. A model known as Q* was rumored to represent a major advance towards achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI).
As Altman returns, he expresses optimism about the new board’s potential for growth and diversity. However, Wired magazine reported that the company may face difficulties attracting qualified women to the board following controversial events. Altman has also defended Adam D’Angelo’s inclusion on the board amidst conflicts of interest concerns.
A substantial challenge moving forward is the governance structure of OpenAI. The organization consists of both a nonprofit and for-profit subsidiaries, leading to conflicts of interest among stakeholders. There are also questions about Microsoft’s influence as a non-voting partner and the impact of new funding.
The individual repercussions of the leadership changes are still to be determined, leaving many unanswered questions. OpenAI faces a period of uncertainty and a great deal of work ahead. Stay tuned for further developments.
