OpenAI Internal Crisis Escalates, Over 700 Employees Jointly Demand Board of Directors Resign

On Monday, there was a public incident at OpenAI, with over 730 employees signing an open letter threatening to leave unless the board resigns and reinstates Sam Altman as CEO, along with co-founder and former president Greg Brockman. "The process of firing Sam Altman and removing Greg Brockman from the board jeopardizes all of our work and undermines our mission and company," the letter stated. "Your actions have shown that you are not capable of overseeing OpenAI." Surprisingly, signatories of the letter include the company's chief scientist and board member Ilya Sutskever, who has been accused of orchestrating the board incident against Altman. As of Monday afternoon, 738 out of approximately 770 employees, or about 95% of the workforce, have signed the letter. Prior to the letter's release, Sutskever posted on X, stating, "I deeply regret my involvement in the board's actions. I never intended to harm OpenAI. I love everything we've built together, and I will do everything I can to reunite the company." The letter's publication follows an eventful weekend in Silicon Valley. OpenAI's board removed Altman from his position on Friday, claiming that "he has not consistently been honest in his communications with the board, impeding the board's ability to fulfill its duties." Mira Murati, OpenAI's Chief Technology Officer, was appointed as interim CEO. Following investor backlash, including from Microsoft, OpenAI's board seems willing to have Altman return to lead the company. Altman posted a photo on Sunday wearing a visitor badge, implying that he would either resume his role as CEO or never set foot in the building again. However, the board informed employees last night that Altman would not be returning to the company. A few hours later, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced that Altman and Brockman would join the tech giant to lead a new advanced artificial intelligence research division. In another swift reorganization, OpenAI's board chose to replace Murati and appointed another interim CEO, Emmett Shear, former CEO of video game streaming website Twitch. Upon learning that Altman would not be returning to OpenAI, some employees stayed up late discussing a course of action. Many employees expressed frustration with the lack of communication surrounding Altman's dismissal. Last night, dozens of employees expressed their willingness to leave and join Altman by posting "Without employees, OpenAI is nothing" on X. In their letter, OpenAI employees threatened to join Altman's team at Microsoft. They wrote, "Microsoft has assured us that if we choose to join, this new subsidiary will provide positions for all OpenAI employees." The exact reason for Altman's dismissal remains unclear, even to many within the company. "Despite repeated requests for you to provide specific evidence of your allegations, you have never provided any written evidence," the letter stated in a message to the board. In addition to demanding the current board (comprised of Ilya Sutskever, Adam D'Angelo, Helen Toner, and Tasha McCauley) resign, the letter also called for the appointment of two new independent lead directors, Bret Taylor and Will Hurd. Taylor is a tech industry veteran with close ties to Altman, while Hurd is a politician and former board member of OpenAI. The letter raises the very real possibility of OpenAI losing almost all of its employees and Microsoft essentially acquiring the entire company. OpenAI currently has approximately 770 employees. This saga also highlights OpenAI's unusual governance structure, which grants several non-profit board members extraordinary power over one of the world's most prominent tech companies. The event also reveals the divisions among those developing artificial intelligence. Altman's efforts to raise funds for OpenAI and transform its products into commercial offerings may have made board members uneasy, as they believe their responsibility is to ensure the safe development of artificial intelligence.