Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, faced a whirlwind of emotions when the company's board called him back a day after his termination. Initially met with defiance, hurt, and anger, Altman ultimately accepted the invitation, marking his return to helm the AI organisation.
In an interview with The Verge, Altman revealed his initial reaction to the board's proposal: “It took me a few minutes to snap out of it and get over the ego and emotions to then be like, ‘Yeah, of course I want to do that.’ Obviously, I really loved the company and had poured my life force into this for the last four and a half years full time, but really longer than that with most of my time. And we’re making such great progress on the mission that I care so much about, the mission of safe and beneficial AGI.”
Following a five-day boardroom turmoil, Altman formally resumed his position as CEO last week. Notably, Microsoft, the company's major investor, is set to secure a nonvoting board seat.
However, Altman remained guarded when probed about the circumstances leading to his dismissal, repeatedly deferring to the impending independent investigation initiated by OpenAI's new board, led by Bret Taylor. “I very much welcome that,” Altman affirmed during the interview.
Addressing the prevalent curiosity surrounding his abrupt departure, Altman refrained from delving into specifics. When questioned about the supposed rift between him and the board, he maintained, “I don’t feel ready to go talk about that yet. I think it’s very important to let this review process run.”
Moreover, Altman declined to elaborate on Ilya Sutskever's change of stance.
Regarding his eventual return, Altman revealed the complex emotions he grappled with initially, expressing how his immediate reaction was one of defiance, hurt, and anger. However, upon reflection and considering his dedication to the company's mission, the team, and partners, Altman swiftly changed his stance, agreeing to return when approached by the board.
“It was really interesting. Saturday morning, some of the board called me and asked if I’d be up for talking about it. And my immediate reaction was sort of one of defiance. It was like, Man, I’m hurt and angry, and I think this sucks,” Altman told The Verge’s Alex Heath.
Also Read As Sam Altman returns to OpenAI, here’s who was fired and who’s in the new board
Here's the timeline of Sam Altman's departure and return to OpenAI:
November 16 - Ilya Sutskever schedules a call with Sam Altman.
November 17 - Altman is fired, publicly announced via an OpenAI blog post. - All-hands meeting held, where Sutskever defends Altman's ousting. - Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella, releases a statement about Altman's firing. - Greg Brockman resigns from OpenAI, followed by three senior researchers.
November 18 - Investors push for Altman's return, exerting pressure on the board. - Board agrees in principle to reverse the decision but misses a deadline. - Altman plans for a new venture and investors express fury over the situation. - OpenAI COO confirms the decision wasn't due to malfeasance. - Altman expresses his love for the team and considers the outpouring of support as "sorta like reading your own eulogy."
November 19 - Altman is expected to meet at OpenAI's headquarters to discuss reinstatement. - Board negotiations continue, with some directors resisting Altman's reinstatement.
November 20 - Altman joins Microsoft with colleagues to lead a new AI research team. - OpenAI employees threaten to resign if Altman isn't reappointed. - Sutskever expresses regret and vows to reunite the company. - OpenAI board considers a potential merger, approaching a rival company's CEO for the role of CEO.
November 21 - Altman and OpenAI reach an agreement in principle for his return as CEO. - OpenAI announces a new initial board lineup including Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, and Adam D'Angelo.
November 22 - OpenAI collaborates with Altman to finalize the details of his return.
November 29 - Microsoft gains representation on OpenAI's initial board of directors in the form of a non-voting observer.