The face of a company whose CEO is fired without warning is rarely seen. Furthermore, it is uncommon to witness nearly 95% of the workforce threatening to resign from the company after the CEO is fired. However, all of this and much more occurred at OpenAI, the unicorn that created ChatGPT, the widely used AI tool that swept the internet last year.
On Saturday, there was widespread online coverage regarding Sam Altman’s abrupt exit from OpenAI. However, we were unaware that the story would not finish there, but rather start. In a recent development, almost 700 of the 770 workers at OpenAI have threatened to quit if Altman is not reinstated by the board. Workers claim that if they choose to leave Microsoft, their jobs have already been guaranteed.
However, Altman may return to OpenAI in a different role, as suggested by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in an interview.
Over 700 of OpenAI’s 770 workers allegedly signed a letter threatening to quit the company if Sam Altman was not given his job back, according to a New York Times report. The workers also stated in the letter that they already have jobs with Microsoft.
It’s interesting to note that the letter was signed by Ilya Sutskever, who was instrumental in Altman’s removal from office, and Mira Murati, who was appointed interim CEO following Altman’s departure. Sutskever recently expressed regret in a tweet about her part in Altman’s exit from OpenAI.
The letter claims that staff members have created “the best models and pushed the field to new frontiers.” It is addressed to the board. The workers go on to say that “the products they built are being used by millions across the world,” and that their work on AI safety and governance “shapes global norms.”
The removal of Greg Brockman and Sam Altman from the board of directors, however, “jeopardized all of their work and undermined their mission and company.” The board’s actions, according to the employees’ letter, “made it clear that they did not have the competence to oversee OpenAl.”
Next, the workers said that they would never work for or with individuals who “lack competence, judgement and care for their mission and employees.”
The board’s actions, according to the employees’ letter, “made it clear that they did not have the competence to oversee OpenAl.”
Next, the workers said that they would never work for or with individuals who “lack competence, judgement and care for their mission and employees.” Then, they brought up the possibility of leaving OpenAI and joining the upcoming Microsoft division, which Altman and Brockman will be heading.
The letter demanded that they act in this manner in the absence of the reinstatement of Altman and Brockman, the resignation of every board member, and the appointment of new lead independent directors. It continued, “Microsoft has guaranteed us that, should we decide to join, there will be jobs at this new subsidiary for all OpenAl employees.
Unless all of the current board members step down and the board names two new lead independent directors—Bret Taylor and Will Hurd, for example—and reinstates Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, we will take this action very soon.
