OpenAI Board of Directors Discusses Sam Altman's Return as CEO

According to multiple sources familiar with the matter, the OpenAI board is discussing the possibility of Sam Altman returning as the CEO of the company. One source stated that Altman's attitude towards returning is "contradictory" after being unexpectedly fired by the board on Friday, and he wants to make significant governance reforms.

On November 18th, at 5:35 PM Pacific Time, a source close to Altman revealed that the board initially agreed to his resignation and allowed Altman and Brockman to return. However, they hesitated afterwards and missed the crucial 5 PM Pacific Time deadline, causing many OpenAI employees to consider resigning. If Altman decides to leave and start a new company, these employees will undoubtedly follow him.

On November 19th, at 11:50 AM Pacific Time, after learning that OpenAI is trying to bring Altman back and the board is indecisive, Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon told employees that the company is "optimistic" about Altman's return and will share more news on Sunday morning. Meanwhile, many OpenAI employees showed their support for Altman with heart-shaped emojis on the X platform.

Altman's meeting with the company just one day after being fired indicates that OpenAI is in free fall without him. A few hours after his dismissal, Greg Brockman, the president and former chairman of the board, resigned, and both of them have been discussing the establishment of another company with friends and investors. Some senior researchers also resigned on Friday, and those close to OpenAI say that more people will leave.

Microsoft, OpenAI's largest investor, released a statement shortly after Altman's dismissal, stating that the company is still committed to collaborating with this AI company. However, the investors of OpenAI were not informed in advance or given the opportunity to express their opinions on the board's decision to fire Altman. As the company's representative and one of the most prominent voices in the field of AI, Altman's dismissal has plunged OpenAI's future into uncertainty, while competitors are closely following the unprecedented rise of ChatGPT.

The current members of OpenAI's board include Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever, Quora CEO Adam D'Angelo, former CEO of GeoSim Systems Tasha McCauley, and the Director of Strategy at Georgetown University's Center for Security and Emerging Technology, Helen Toner. Unlike traditional companies, the board's mission is not to maximize shareholder value, and they do not have equity in OpenAI. Instead, their stated mission is to ensure the development of "broadly beneficial" artificial general intelligence (AGI).

According to multiple sources, OpenAI co-founder and leader of the research team, Sutskever, played a significant role in Altman's dismissal this week. Insiders say that his role in this coup demonstrates the power struggle between the company's research team and product team.