An OpenAI secret that hurts us all
The dismissal of Sam Altman from OpenAI shocked Silicon Valley. It also raises questions about the role of boards in overseeing powerful tech companies.
“Given the risk and power of advanced AI, the public should be informed of why the board felt they had to take such drastic action,” declared none other than Elon Musk on X over the weekend in reference to the removal of Sam Altman from OpenAI.
Given the questionable governance within Musk’s business empire, he’s an unlikely ally for the board of OpenAI. But as the dust settles on the firing of Altman, the ChatGPT maker’s CEO, the role of boards in overseeing powerful technology companies warrants more scrutiny.
There has been an outpouring of support for Altman’s return from the VC community, while the reasons behind his dismissal have so far remained elusive. According to late-breaking reports he will not be returning as CEO as some had hoped, with Twitch co-founder Emmett Shear now named as interim chief executive.
Still, Altman has been painted as universally loved, and in building the fastest-growing tech company in history, valued at USD90 billion ($137 billion), his commercial acumen is hard to dispute.
