OpenAI’s Sam Altman Is The AI Date Everyone Wants To Bring To The Prom

In a dramatic change of events on Wednesday, OpenAI announced in a post on X that the recently-ousted Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman will return to lead the company, adding the “new initial board” will be chaired by Bret Taylor, a former co-CEO of Salesforce.

The post appears to have brought an end to a few days of chaos in the evolving AI industry. OpenAI’s turmoil, with Altman caught in the middle, could have broad implications for who gets to control the future of generative artificial intelligence.

Microsoft Gets Sam Altman Either Way

Ultimately, Altman and Microsoft, the biggest shareholder in OpenAI, appear to be the big winners. While the chief executive will continue leading the firm with a board that is, in theory, more supportive of his vision, Microsoft has grabbed more control over the firm.

A Monday post from Microsoft’s Satya Nadella had noted Altman would be joining the tech behemoth to lead a new AI research division. But hundreds of OpenAI employees threatened to leave if OpenAI’s board didn’t resign and reinstate the fired chief executive.

However, Microsoft has already won the war. It remains OpenAI’s most significant investor, with a promised $13 billion investment. That means Nadella and Co get Altman, who has become the public face of the AI industry, either way.

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But Nothing Is Guaranteed At The Moment

It appears Altman is the AI date everyone wants to bring to the prom. Investors would have lined up to give him whatever money he needed. But now the only thing they can do is invest in Microsoft, said Jason Schloetzer from Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business.

Nonetheless, the Chief Executive Officer of OpenAI is not the ultimate prize. Leadership in the AI space is. The technology could have broad consequences. And Microsoft’s relationship with Altman and OpenAI has put it in the pole position. But nothing is guaranteed.