Sam Altman, the former CEO of OpenAI credited with introducing ChatGPT to the world and earning significant influence in the tech industry, has left the company amid a loss of confidence from its board.
Altman, a co-founder who had been with OpenAI since its establishment in 2015, was informed of his termination by OpenAI board member and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever just minutes before the board made a public announcement, according to a post by company president Greg Brockman on X.
The board’s statement cited a review of Altman’s conduct, revealing that “he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities.” Following Altman’s departure, Mira Murati, formerly OpenAI’s chief technology officer, assumed the role of interim CEO while the board initiated a search for a permanent replacement.
OpenAI has not yet responded to inquiries regarding Brockman’s post, and the company has declined to comment on the board’s official announcement. Altman has also refrained from providing a statement on the matter.
Additionally, the board announced that Greg Brockman, who co-founded OpenAI with Altman and other notable figures in AI and technology, including Elon Musk, would step down from his position as the company’s board chair. While no specific reason was disclosed for Brockman’s decision, he confirmed his resignation several hours after the company’s announcement in an email shared with OpenAI staff on X.
The email expressed Brockman’s pride in the accomplishments achieved over the eight years since the company’s inception, stating, “We’ve been through tough and great times together, accomplishing so much despite all the reasons it should have been impossible. But based on today’s news, I quit.”
