Sam Altman, co-founder and ex-CEO of OpenAI, is reportedly in talks with the organization’s board with regards to a potential comeback, as reported by Bloomberg Law.
These discussions, involving at least one board member, Adam D’Angelo, have been confirmed by sources who wished to remain anonymous due to the confidential nature of the deliberations. OpenAI’s investors, some of whom are advocating for Altman’s reinstatement, are also reportedly part of these negotiations.
A proposed situation under discussion would see Altman return in the role of a director on a transitional board. This signals an important development, given that until recently, Altman had been largely ignored by the directors following his termination on Friday.
The decision of Altman’s removal has attracted widespread scrutiny, with the board citing inconsistencies in his communication. However, staff internal to the board and Altman himself have maintained that his removal was not related to any significant wrongdoing, creating confusion around the true reasons for his departure.
The company’s new CEO, Emmett Shear, has also expressed his confusion and has suggested that he may not stay on board if the rationale for Altman’s dismissal is not clearly communicated to him.
OpenAI has faced substantial backlash from its employees following Altman’s removal, with many threatening to resign unless he is reinstated. The tension may have led the company’s Vice President of Global Affairs, Anna Makanju, to assert that “intense discussions” were ongoing to unite diverging factions within the company.
User-generated content platform Quora’s Adam D’Angelo, tech entrepreneur Tasha McCauley, and strategy director at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, Helen Toner, were part of the OpenAI board prior to Altman’s exit. Following his removal, OpenAI’s president Greg Brockman stepped down in protest.
OpenAI declined to comment on these negotiations.