Microsoft AI Power Play: Sam Altman, the ousted CEO of OpenAI in a tumultuous boardroom coup on Friday, is set to join Microsoft, as announced by the tech giant on Monday. Meanwhile, Emmett Shear, former CEO of the streaming service Twitch, will be joining OpenAI.
Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella expressed anticipation for Emmett Shear’s presence and excitement about the news of Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, along with their colleagues, leading a new advanced AI research team at Microsoft.
Altman, who will be the CEO of this “new group,” is joining Microsoft, the biggest investor in OpenAI. Meanwhile, reports from various sources, including The Information, Bloomberg, and the Financial Times, suggest that Shear has been tapped to become the interim CEO of OpenAI.
The details surrounding Altman’s departure from OpenAI remain unclear. OpenAI claimed Altman’s lack of transparency with the board hindered its ability to fulfill responsibilities. The ambiguity in the announcement led to various speculations. Greg Brockman, co-founder and former president of OpenAI, shared vivid details, stating that Altman learned about his firing just minutes before the public announcement. Brockman hinted at a disagreement between Altman and the company’s research division, led by co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever.
Tensions between Altman, advocating for aggressive AI development and quicker product launches for profit, and the more cautious OpenAI board played a crucial role in his ouster. The conflict was highlighted by contributor Kara Swisher, who spoke to informed sources about the crisis.
While Altman pushed for a faster market presence and profitable sales, his public stance consistently emphasized the potential risks posed by AI
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