Hours after rejoining the OpenAI board, CEO Sam Altman expressed remorse for the turbulent events preceding and following his unexpected removal from the AI startup board in November.
Reflecting on the Past: Altman, while conveying his appreciation and hope for the future, acknowledged that he wishes he had handled the situation differently.
Notably, Altman tendered an apology for his conduct when he suspected a former board colleague of harming OpenAI through their actions, admitting he should have approached the matter more gracefully and attentively.
Without specifying the individual in question, speculation points to Helen Toner, with whom Altman clashed over their dissimilar views on AI safety protocols.
Altman’s attempt to remove Toner backfired, resulting in his own ouster from the board.
In acknowledgment of his missteps, Altman remarked, “I wish I had handled it differently.”
Reports have surfaced suggesting that Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati and OpenAI co-founder and former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever also played pivotal roles in Altman’s removal.
When queried about the nature of events, Sutskever somewhat confirmed it was akin to a “palace coup,” a sentiment he later expressed remorse for.
Interestingly, Altman praised the leadership of Murati and president Greg Brockman, both key figures in OpenAI. Murati assumed the role of interim CEO following Altman’s departure, while Brockman remained a staunch supporter of Altman during the tumultuous period.
In a different arena, Altman’s critic and Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk responded to Altman’s reinstatement to the OpenAI board with a simple “lol.”
Significance of the Event: Altman’s regretful tweet follows his brief expulsion from OpenAI three months earlier. The circumstances surrounding his removal stirred internal conflicts within the AI research firm, prompting a pending report from an external legal firm to shed light on the decisions leading to Altman’s reinstatement.
Besides Altman, three new board members have joined OpenAI – Fidji Simo, Sue Desmond-Hellmann, and Nicole Seligman.
Desmond-Hellmann, the former CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, brings an intriguing perspective given the rising scrutiny surrounding OpenAI’s relationship with Microsoft Corp.
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Disclaimer: This content was partly developed with the assistance of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and released by Benzinga editors.