official announcement here: https://openai.com/blog/openai-announces-leadership-transition
image transcription:
announcement's title "openai announces leadership transition" is at the top, with surprised pikachu face at bottom. on top of pikachu, text reads, "not even Sam could prevent losing his job to AI."
comment taken from this video
For what its worth, it seems like the board is claiming that Altman's constant wheeling and dealing of the technology, including giving Microsoft a minority stake in the LLC, rubbed them the wrong way, and they felt that his increasingly transparent desire for profits was antithetical to the original purpose of the OpenAI Non-Profit, which was to safeguard AGI, not to market and sell it.
Honestly, I felt that way too, so I'm on the boards side with this one. It felt pretty clear that Altman had tossed out the "beneficial for humanity" goal in favor of "beneficial to me and my wallet."
Double edged sword, them firing him will probably release him from his contracts so he can pursue that money train.
What money train? Sure, he's famous now, reasonably understands ai, and has a reputation around it...
He doesn't actually have the ability to advance AI tech. He's a figurehead chosen to represent engineers and handle the logistics for people who do have the ability to advance this miracle technology
What's his money train? Joining the circuit of short time CEOs?
For better or for worse he's got a lot of friends within openai. Sounds like many of them have threatened to resign if he's gone. If he goes and starts a competing company without the ethical guardrails, I think it's likely a lot of folks will follow him. He also has very tight ties to the investing community so he would likely be able to raise funds quickly. I think there's a solid chance he could make a credible competitor to openai within the next 5 years, especially if they lose talent/money over this.