The investigation was triggered by the board's decision and Altman's subsequent agreement to an internal investigation to regain his job. Despite revelations of internal tensions over Altman's fundraising activities for an outside venture and a dispute with a former board member, no significant evidence has emerged. The board's loss of trust in Altman was reportedly due to his pattern of behavior, not a single action. OpenAI's board chair, Bret Taylor, has stated that the board will continue to strengthen the company's corporate governance during the ongoing review.
Key takeaways:
- The US Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating OpenAI for potentially misleading investors, focusing on internal communications by former CEO Sam Altman.
- The investigation was prompted by the OpenAI board's decision to fire Altman as CEO and remove him from the board in November, citing his lack of candor in communications.
- Despite tensions within OpenAI over Altman's fundraising for an outside chip venture and a dispute with a former board member, no major revelations have emerged from the investigation so far.
- OpenAI's board, led by chair Bret Taylor, has pledged to strengthen the company's corporate governance and build a diverse board to oversee its mission of ensuring artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.