OpenAI, the parent creator of ChatGPT, announced it
had sacked Sam Altman as the CEO and co-founder of the company as the “board
lost confidence in his ability to lead”.
OpenAI said Altman’s “departure follows a deliberative
review process by the board, which concluded that he was not consistently
candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise
its responsibilities”.
A statement said its Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
Mira Murati will take over as the interim CEO, and OpenAI will conduct a formal
search for a permanent CEO.
Confirming the news, Altman took to X and wrote, “I
loved my time at OpenAI. It was transformative for me personally, and hopefully
the world a little bit. Most of all I loved working with such talented people.
Will have more to say about what’s next later.”
Backed by substantial funding from Microsoft, OpenAI
initiated the generative AI trend last November with the release of its ChatGPT
chatbot, becoming one of the world’s rapidly expanding software applications.
Altman, 38, who previously led Y Combinator, is a
serial entrepreneur and investor. He served as the public face of OpenAI,
showcasing the generative AI technology capable of generating human-like
responses to queries, during his global tour this year.
In its statement, OpenAI said the board was “grateful
for Sam’s many contributions to the founding and growth of OpenAI”. “At the
same time, we believe new leadership is necessary as we move forward,” it
added.
AFP
