Shear's appointment is surprising as he is not seen as a leader in the AI space. His acceptance of the role comes with the condition of board support for commercializing OpenAI's models. Meanwhile, Altman and former president Greg Brockman are joining Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team. OpenAI's profile has significantly grown since the launch of ChatGPT, with over 100 million weekly users.
Key takeaways:
- Former Twitch CEO and co-founder Emmett Shear has been named as the interim CEO of OpenAI, following the shock firing of Sam Altman.
- Altman's exit came after the board said he had not been "consistently candid in his communications", and his potential return was discussed under pressure from investors and the threat of a mass employee walkout.
- Microsoft, OpenAI’s largest investor, remains committed to its partnership with OpenAI, with Altman and former president Greg Brockman joining Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team.
- OpenAI’s profile has skyrocketed since the launch of ChatGPT barely a year ago, with over 100 million weekly users, making it one of the fastest growing services of all time.