However, Altman was reinstated as CEO less than a week after his firing, leading to the departure of Toner and other board members who had voted for his dismissal. The controversy has led to resignations and threats of resignations from OpenAI employees, as well as investor uproar. An internal investigation by law firm WilmerHale concluded that there was a significant breakdown of trust between the board and Altman, but found that the board had acted in good faith.
Key takeaways:
- Helen Toner, former OpenAI board member, spoke out about the events leading up to the firing of CEO Sam Altman, accusing him of withholding information, misrepresenting events, and in some cases lying to the board.
- Altman was accused of not informing the board about the release of ChatGPT and his ownership of the OpenAI startup fund. He was reinstated as CEO less than a week after his firing.
- Two executives shared their uncomfortable experiences with Altman, including 'psychological abuse' and a 'toxic atmosphere', a month before his ousting.
- OpenAI disbanded its team focused on the long-term risks of AI, and team leaders Ilya Sutskever and Jan Leike departed the company. Leike criticized OpenAI's safety culture and processes, saying they have taken a backseat to 'shiny products'.