Both investors and employees rallied hard for Altman's return after he was fired from the company on November 17. Credit: Shutterstock Sam Altman is to return to OpenAI within days of his departure and the company appointing two interim CEOs during the period, OpenAI announced in a post on X. “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,” OpenAI said in an update posted to the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Altman’s departure late last week from the AI startup because of a conflict with the board was the subject of much speculation, as the reasons weren’t clearly spelled out. “I love OpenAI and have acted to preserve our team and mission. Joining Microsoft was the best decision for us, and with a new board and Satya’s support, I’m excited to return to OpenAI and strengthen our partnership with Microsoft,” Altman posted. Initially, former Twitch CEO Emmet Shear was set to replace Altman. “It’s clear that the process and communications around Sam’s removal has been handled very badly, which has seriously damaged our trust,” Shear said on Monday in a posted on X. Before Shear took over the role of interim CEO at OpenAI, the company had appointed OpenAI CTO Mira Murati as the interim CEO on Friday. It’s unclear what role Shear or Murati would have in the company after Altman’s return. Altman’s firing sparked widespread disapproval in the tech community, drawing comparisons to Steve Jobs’ infamous dismissal and later successful return to Apple. As many as 747 out of 770 OpenAI employees signed a letter threatening to quit and join Microsoft if Altman was not reinstated. Altman and other key members, including Greg Brockman, were initially set to join Microsoft to lead a new AI research team, as announced by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, following their departure. Microsoft is a large investor in OpenAI, and Nadella appeared pleased that Altman was rejoining the startup company. “We are encouraged by the changes to the OpenAI board. We believe this is a first essential step on a path to more stable, well-informed, and effective governance,” Nadella posted on X. “We look forward to building on our strong partnership and delivering the value of this next generation of AI to our customers and partners.” The startup has a corporate structure that’s quite unusual by Silicon Valley standards. OpenAI has been organized as a nonprofit since 2015 and is governed by a board overseeing all activities. A 2019 thread on YCombinator’s Hacker News forum, written as the firm shifted to a hybrid structure of nonprofit and for-profit entities, sparked debate about its mission shift, profit motives, and the ethical complexities of AI development. “Investor returns are capped at 100x, that’s quite a high cap for a non-profit,” wrote one user who had skepticism about OpenAI’s shift to a hybrid structure and its alignment with its original non-profit ethos. Reuters recently reported that some investors are considering suing the company over Altman’s firing; however, the firm’s unique structure potentially shields it from investor lawsuits, legal experts who spoke to Reuters said, and weakens their position in challenging the recent CEO dismissal. Related content news Apple updates its Platform Security Guide It's essential reading for IT admins, security researchers and anyone with an interest in Apple security, now updated for 2024. By Jonny Evans May 10, 2024 4 mins iOS Security Mac MacOS Security feature Q&A: Insurance exec says AI nearly perfect when processing tens of thousands of documents In the second phase of a genAI pilot program, Sedgwick found it could process documents up to 30 pages long and summarize them in minutes, allowing claims administrators to reduce resolution time. By Lucas Mearian May 10, 2024 11 mins Chatbots Financial Services Industry Generative AI tip An awesome Android audio upgrade Whether you're dealing with mumblings from meetings, noises from notifications, or music from commute-time streaming, you've never experienced sound on your phone like this. By JR Raphael May 10, 2024 9 mins Mobile Apps Android Mobile news Strict return-to-work policies may be driving tech workers away In-office mandates aren’t great for employee retention, according to a university study that gathered data from workers at Microsoft, Apple and SpaceX. By Jon Gold May 09, 2024 3 mins Remote Work Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe