OpenAI: Sam Altman returns as CEO

Sam Altman will join the OpenAI board after an independent probe found that his conduct “did not mandate removal”. The special committee of the OpenAI board announced the completion of the review, and expressed its full confidence in Altman and Greg Brockman’s ongoing leadership of OpenAI.

The law firm WilmerHale interviewed board members, employees, and reviewed “more than 30,000 documents” to reach the conclusion. “We have unanimously concluded that Sam and Greg are the right leaders for OpenAI,” said Bret Taylor, chair of the OpenAI board, in a statement early on Saturday.

Altman, as CEO, will rejoin the OpenAI board of directors. The board also announced the election of three new members as one part of its commitment to expansion.

They are Dr Sue Desmond-Hellmann, former CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Nicole Seligman, former EVP and global general counsel of Sony and president of Sony Entertainment; and Fidji Simo, CEO and chair of Instacart and on the board of directors at Shopify.

"Their experience and leadership will enable the Board to oversee OpenAI’s growth and to ensure that we pursue OpenAI’s mission of ensuring artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity,” said Taylor.

The board will prioritise its crucial work to enhance the governance procedures to best achieve OpenAI’s mission. “We recognise the magnitude of our role in stewarding transformative technologies for the global good,” added Taylor.