Current:Home > StocksSam Altman leaving OpenAI, with its board saying it "no longer has confidence" in his leadership-InfoLens
Sam Altman leaving OpenAI, with its board saying it "no longer has confidence" in his leadership
View Date:2024-12-23 15:29:29
Sam Altman, one of the most prominent figures in the emerging field of artificial intelligence, has been pushed out as CEO at OpenAI, with the company abruptly announcing on Friday that its board "no longer has confidence" in his leadership.
Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati will take the helm as the company's interim CEO.
"Mr. 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. The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI," the company said in its statement.
The 38-year-old's ouster seemingly took him and others by surprise.
"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," Altman said Friday in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Will have more to say about what's next later," he added.
The suddenness of Altman's exit was noted by technology pundit Kara Swisher, who posted on X that Altman had been "very publicly" representing the company as recently as Thursday. The speed of his ouster "indicates it's more likely to be personal (you know what I mean) or money-related," Swisher wrote.
Murati, who has been at OpenAI for five years, was named the company's Chief Technology Officer last year and "already leads the company research, product and safety functions," said OpenAI, a leader in so-called generative artificial intelligence.
Based in San Francisco, the technology startup founded in 2015 released online chatbot ChatGPT about a year ago, setting off an AI boom that made Altman famous and landed him meetings with President Joe Biden and other leaders.
OpenAI's ChatGPT and image generator Dall-E brought generative AI into the mainstream, while also stirring debate about the technology's potential for replacing workers in a range of jobs and further blurring the line between content produced by machines and by people. OpenAI has also found itself the target of multiple lawsuits by authors, artists and others creators alleging that the company's technology copied their work.
As CEO, Altman led a transformation of a little-known startup into a company engaged in talks to sell employee shares to investors at a valuation in excess of $80 billion, according to media outlets including Bloomberg News and the New York Times. Outspoken and known for stirring controversy, he has also attracted attention for sounding the alarm about the technology's potential threat to humanity.
- In:
- Sam Altman
- Artificial Intelligence
Kate Gibson is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch in New York.
veryGood! (5454)
Related
- Richard Allen found guilty in the murders of two teens in Delphi, Indiana. What now?
- What can trigger an itch? Scientists have found a new culprit
- Former Boy Scout leader pleads guilty to sexually assaulting New Hampshire boy decades ago
- Live updates | Timing for the Israel-Hamas pause in fighting will be announced in the next 24 hours
- Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul referee handled one of YouTuber's biggest fights
- 'Maestro' chronicles the brilliant Bernstein — and his disorderly conduct
- Photos show a shocked nation mourning President John F. Kennedy after assassination
- Do you know this famous Sagittarius? Check out these 30 celebrity fire signs.
- CFP bracket prediction: SEC adds a fifth team to field while a Big Ten unbeaten falls out
- Walmart's Black Friday 2023 Sale Includes $99 Beats, $98 Roku TV, $38 Bike, & More
Ranking
- Republican David Schweikert wins reelection in affluent Arizona congressional district
- Prepare for Beyoncé's 'Renaissance' film: What to wear, how to do mute challenge
- The top contenders to lead the Netherlands, from a former refugee to an anti-Islam populist
- Matt Rife responds to domestic violence backlash from Netflix special with disability joke
- A growing and aging population is forcing Texas counties to seek state EMS funding
- Roll your eyes, but Black Friday's still got it. So here's what to look for
- New AP analysis of last month’s deadly Gaza hospital explosion rules out widely cited video
- A Las Vegas high school grapples with how a feud over stolen items escalated into a fatal beating
Recommendation
-
Tech consultant testifies that ‘bad joke’ led to deadly clash with Cash App founder Bob Lee
-
Why Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys always play on Thanksgiving: What to know about football tradition
-
Maui wildfire survivors camp on the beach to push mayor to convert vacation rentals into housing
-
The first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade featured live animals (bears and elephants)
-
Horoscopes Today, November 10, 2024
-
Antoni Porowski and Kevin Harrington Break Up After 4 Years Together
-
As some stores shrink windows for sending back items, these retailers have the best returns policies
-
Nebraska officer shoots man who allegedly drove at him; woman jumped from Jeep and was run over