Sam Altman to return as CEO of OpenAI; new interim board announced

Following the announcement, Sam Altman said that he decided to join the company again as it was best for him and the team

OpenAI, an artificial intelligence company, on Wednesday said that Sam Altman will return to OpenAI as a chief executive officer (CEO) with a new initial board of Bret Taylor (Chair), Larry Summers, and Adam D'Angelo.

OpenAI wrote on X (formerly Twitter): We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman to return to OpenAI as CEO with a new initial board of Bret Taylor (Chair), Larry Summers, and Adam D'Angelo. We are collaborating to figure out the details. Thank you so much for your patience through this."

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Following the announcement, Altman said that he decided to join the company again as it was best for him and the team. He wrote on X, "I love OpenAI, and everything I’ve done over the past few days has been in service of keeping this team and its mission together. When I decided to join msft on Sunday evening, it was clear that was the best path for me and the team. With the new board and with Satya’s support, I’m looking forward to returning to OpenAI, and building on our strong partnership with msft."

On November 17, the Board of the OpenAI had announced that the company is parting ways with Altman, also a co-founder and one of the most prominent figures in the AI ecosystem, after losing confidence in him as a leader.

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Satya Nadella, executive chairman and CEO of Microsoft, said, "We are encouraged by the changes to the OpenAI board. We believe this is the first essential step on a path to more stable, well-informed, and effective governance. Sam, Greg, and I have talked and agreed they have a key role to play along with the OAI leadership team in ensuring OAI continues to thrive and build on its mission. We look forward to building on our strong partnership and delivering the value of this next generation of AI to our customers and partners."