BIG TWIST: Sam Altman To Return To OpenAI As CEO; ChatGPT Maker Confirms On X

OpenAI's official statement on X read, "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."

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New Delhi: OpenAI announced on Tuesday that Sam Altman, who was recently removed as CEO, will be returning to the position after reaching an agreement. This comes after discussions about the future of the startup known for its work in artificial intelligence.

As part of the agreement, the board of directors, which had previously dismissed Altman, will see some changes. Bret Taylor, formerly co-CEO of Salesforce, and Larry Summers, former U.S. Treasury Secretary, will join the current director Adam D'Angelo.

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. — OpenAI (@OpenAI) November 22, 2023

Altman expressed his excitement about returning in a post on X. The reasons behind Altman's initial firing were not clearly explained by the board, but it was mentioned that it was related to a lack of openness and the need to protect OpenAI's mission of developing AI for the benefit of humanity.

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 sun evening, it was clear that was the best path for me and the team. with the new board and w satya’s support, i’m…

— Sam Altman (@sama) November 22, 2023

This development signifies a potential new direction for OpenAI, a non-profit organization, which has dealt with concerns among its staff about the risks of AI and its potential commercialization. Microsoft, a major financial backer of OpenAI, also welcomed the changes to the board.

Altman's return concludes a tumultuous period that included him agreeing to lead a new research team at Microsoft. Despite initial rejection by OpenAI's board, the situation was resolved with Altman's return.