Every hour that passes brings a new chapter in the soap opera about the dismissal of Sam Altman of OpenAI. Now, executives and 505 employees — out of a total of 700 — of the startup have signed a letter threatening to resign and go to Microsoft unless profound changes occur. Specifically, they are calling for the resignation of the board of directors and the return of Altman as CEO.
The letter was known just minutes after Ilya Sutskeverchief scientist of OpenAI and accused of being one of the architects of Sam Altman’s departure, expressed regret for the events that occurred last Friday.
“I deeply regret my involvement in the board’s actions. I never intended to harm OpenAI. I love everything we have built together and will do everything I can to bring the company back together,” posted on X (Twitter).
“The process by which they fired Sam Altman and removed Greg Brockman from the board of directors has jeopardized all of our work and undermined our mission and company. Their conduct has made it clear that they have no competence to oversee OpenAI,” says the text.
The curious thing about this story is that Sutskever himself appears as one of the signatories of the letter. The text sent to the OpenAI board of directors sets out very harsh terms from employees, who say they are willing to resign unless the requested modifications are implemented. They also claim that Microsoft has assured them that everyone will have a place in the company.
“We, the undersigned, may choose to resign from OpenAI and join the recently announced Microsoft subsidiary led by Sam Altman and Greg Brockman. Microsoft has assured us that there are positions for all OpenAI employees in this new subsidiary in the event of “We decide to join. We will take this step imminently, unless all current board members resign and the board appoints two new lead independent directors, including Bret Taylor and Will Hurd, and reinstates Sam Altman and Greg Brockman.” .
Letter from OpenAI employees to the board of directors.
More than 500 OpenAI employees threaten to resign
The letter from OpenAI executives and employees has come to light after uA truly chaotic weekend for the startup. The “riot” that led to the firing of Sam Altman caused a great shock in the industry, after the company’s board of directors considered that the CEO had not been sincere in his communications, hindering the exercise of his responsibilities.
The circumstances behind the sudden change of authorities suggested that OpenAI was going through a fierce power struggle in their offices. Mira Muratithe firm’s chief technology officer, was appointed as interim CEO, although she was later removed from the position when she attempted to rehire Sam Altman and Greg Brockman.
Just 24 hours after his dismissal, OpenAI negotiated with the former CEO for his return to the company. However, this did not prosper. In the midst of chaos, Microsoft He came out to mark the court with the announcement that both Altman and Brockman would join their ranks. Likewise, the Californian firm reported the arrival of Emmet Shear, former director of Twitch, to assume the position of CEO.
Hours before the letter from OpenAI employees threatening to resign from the company was made public, signs began to emerge that something big was brewing within the company. A large number of employees and executives began to publish “OpenAI is nothing without its people” on X (Twitter). This led to thinking that a massive resignation could be on the way.
In addition to Ilya Sutskever, other top OpenAI executives appear among the signatories of the letter. These are some of the most important ones:
- Mira Muratitechnology manager;
- Jason Kwonhead of strategy;
- Brad Lightcaphead of operations;
- Wojciech Zarembaco-founder of the startup and leader of projects linked to GPT.
The letter asking for the return of Sam Altman
Below, we share the translated version of the letter sent by more than 500 OpenAI employees to the firm’s board of directors.
“To the board of directors of OpenAI:
OpenAI is the world’s leading AI company. We, the employees of OpenAI, have developed the best models and taken the field to new frontiers. Our work on AI safety and governance shapes global standards. The products we build are used by millions of people around the world. Until now, the company we work for and love has never been in a stronger position.
The process by which you fired Sam Altman and removed Greg Brockman from the board of directors has jeopardized all of this work and undermined our mission and our company. Their conduct has made it clear that they had no jurisdiction to oversee OpenAI.
When we all unexpectedly learned of their decision, OpenAI’s leadership team acted quickly to stabilize the company. They listened carefully to your concerns and tried to cooperate with you in all aspects. Despite many requests for specific facts about their accusations, they have never provided any written proof. They [el equipo de liderazgo] They also realized that you were not capable of carrying out your duties and that you were negotiating in bad faith.
The leadership team suggested that the most stabilizing path forward—the one that would best serve our mission, the company, the stakeholders, the employees, and the public—would be for you to step down and establish a qualified board that could lead the company forward with stability.
Leadership worked with you around the clock to find a mutually acceptable outcome. However, two days after their initial decision, they again replaced interim CEO Mira Murati, against the company’s best interests. They also informed the leadership team that allowing the company to be destroyed “would be consistent with the mission.”
Their actions have made it clear that they are incapable of overseeing OpenAI. We cannot work for or with people who lack competence, judgment, and care for our mission and our employees. We, the undersigned, may choose to resign from OpenAI and join the recently announced Microsoft subsidiary led by Sam Altman and Greg Brockman. Microsoft has assured us that there are positions for all OpenAI employees in this new subsidiary should we decide to join. “We will take this step imminently unless all current board members resign and the board appoints two new lead independent directors, including Bret Taylor and Will Hurd, and reinstates Sam Altman and Greg Brockman.”
For now, the OpenAI board of directors has not commented on the matter. We will be attentive to the news.