The board of directors of OpenAI, Inc, the 501(c)(3) that acts as the general governing body for all OpenAI activities, today announced that Sam Altman will depart as CEO and leave the board of directors. Mira Murati, the corporate’s chief technology officer, will function interim CEO, effective immediately.
A member of OpenAI’s leadership team for five years, Mira has played a critical role in OpenAI’s evolution into a world AI leader. She brings a singular skill set, understanding of the corporate’s values, operations, and business, and already leads the corporate’s research, product, and safety functions. Given her long tenure and shut engagement with all features of the corporate, including her experience in AI governance and policy, the board believes she is uniquely qualified for the role and anticipates a seamless transition while it conducts a proper seek for a everlasting 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 now not has confidence in his ability to proceed leading OpenAI.
In an announcement, the board of directors said: “OpenAI was deliberately structured to advance our mission: to be sure that artificial general intelligence advantages all humanity. The board stays fully committed to serving this mission. We’re grateful for Sam’s many contributions to the founding and growth of OpenAI. At the identical time, we consider recent leadership is vital as we move forward. Because the leader of the corporate’s research, product, and safety functions, Mira is exceptionally qualified to step into the role of interim CEO. We’ve the utmost confidence in her ability to steer OpenAI during this transition period.”
OpenAI’s board of directors consists of OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, independent directors Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo, technology entrepreneur Tasha McCauley, and Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology’s Helen Toner.
As a component of this transition, Greg Brockman shall be stepping down as chairman of the board and can remain in his role at the corporate, reporting to the CEO.
OpenAI was founded as a non-profit in 2015 with the core mission of ensuring that artificial general intelligence advantages all of humanity. In 2019, OpenAI restructured to be sure that the corporate could raise capital in pursuit of this mission, while preserving the nonprofit’s mission, governance, and oversight. Nearly all of the board is independent, and the independent directors don’t hold equity in OpenAI. While the corporate has experienced dramatic growth, it stays the elemental governance responsibility of the board to advance OpenAI’s mission and preserve the principles of its Charter.