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The tech world was shaken when Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, was fired by the board on Friday. Greg Brockman, the president of the organization, was also dismissed. The abrupt and unexpected move left many puzzled. The board’s explanation was even more confusing: Altman was “not consistently candid in his communications with the board and the broader OpenAI team.”
The phrase “not consistently candid” is ambiguous and frustratingly vague. It suggests something serious without providing any concrete details. Essentially, it implies a lack of trust without explaining why.
This phrase is crucial in understanding Altman’s ousting. But what exactly did it mean? Did Altman lie, omit information, distort facts, or exaggerate something?
Could it be related to his vision and strategy for OpenAI, which was originally a nonprofit research lab with a mission to create beneficial artificial general intelligence but later shifted to also include commercial partnerships, like the one with Microsoft? Or was it about a rumored venture fund that could conflict with his role at OpenAI and access to its research? Perhaps it was related to a potential data leak from the GPT Store launch at OpenAI Dev Day, or maybe a new startup he was planning that could compete with OpenAI or Microsoft.
Speculation intensified over the weekend. Some sources suggested that Altman might return to OpenAI after interventions from influential figures, including Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella. There was also a serious accusation from his sister, Annie Altman, who claimed on social media that Sam had sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers.
By Sunday night, Altman’s fate was sealed. He would not return to OpenAI but would instead lead a new advanced AI research team at Microsoft. Emmett Shear, the former CEO of Twitch, was named interim CEO of OpenAI. The board expressed gratitude to Altman and Brockman for their contributions and reiterated their commitment to OpenAI’s mission.
However, the gratitude seemed insincere given the abrupt leadership change, and the commitment to the mission appeared questionable due to the board’s lack of transparency. The phrase “not consistently candid” remains a mystery, a puzzle that demands more scrutiny and investigation. This phrase is significant not only for the future of OpenAI but also for the broader field of AI. The key question remains: What exactly did Sam Altman allegedly mislead the board about?