In a blogpost OpenAI said that Sam Altman's departure follows a deliberative review process by the board, which concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities.
Employees were caught off-guard by the sudden leadership shift, learning about it internally and through the company's public blog.
The primary reason cited for Altman’s removal was his lack of consistent candor in his communications with the board members, which was seen as hindering the company’s growth. The board members felt that Altman was not candid in his communications, which led to his removal.
Altman was fired over a quick call on Google Meet. The decision was made by the board members, who felt that Altman’s lack of candor was hindering the company’s growth. The decision to fire Altman was made quickly, and he was informed of the decision over the call.
Following Altman’s termination, OpenAI’s co-founder Greg Brockman resigned from his position as president. Three other senior OpenAI researchers Jakub Pachocki, Aleksander Madry and Szymon Sidor also quit.
Mira Murati, the company’s chief technology officer, will serve as interim CEO, effective immediately. The sudden removal of Altman and Brockman has sparked industry speculation and rumors.
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