Microsoft announced on Monday that it has hired Sam Altman, co-founder of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. This follows Altman’s surprising and sudden removal as CEO of OpenAI last week. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella expressed great enthusiasm for the addition of Altman and Greg Brockman, another co-founder of OpenAI, along with other managers, to lead a new advanced AI research team at Microsoft. Nadella also expressed interest in working with OpenAI’s new CEO, Emmett Shear.
The news was confirmed on social media by both Altman and Shear. Shear described his appointment as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, accepted after brief reflection and consultation with his family. Altman’s removal from OpenAI came after an internal review and followed the success of ChatGPT, which had made Altman a well-known figure in Silicon Valley.
OpenAI has also undergone changes in its management structure, with Brockman stepping down from his position as chairman of the board but remaining president of the company. These developments come at a time when OpenAI and its creations have brought generative AI to the mainstream public, raising debates about the technology’s use and its legal and ethical implications.