OpenAI employees threaten mass resignation over Altman’s dismissal
CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES — A major upheaval is unfolding at OpenAI, the artificial intelligence lab behind the popular ChatGPT chatbot, as the unexpected ousting of CEO Sam Altman led to a widespread employee backlash.
About 95% of the company’s 770 employees have signed an open letter threatening mass resignation unless the board reinstates Altman and steps down.
“The process through which you terminated Sam Altman and removed Greg Brockman from the board has jeopardized all of this work and undermined our mission and company,” the letter reads.
“Your conduct has made it clear you did not have the competence to oversee OpenAI.”
The letter also stated that employees may join Altman in a new AI venture at Microsoft, which has reportedly offered positions to all OpenAI staff.
Shortly before the letter was released, Ilya Sutskever, the company’s chief scientist and a member of its board, posted on X that he deeply regrets his participation in Altman’s firing.
“I never intended to harm OpenAI,” he added.
Sutskever, one of the letter’s signees, has been blamed for coordinating the boardroom coup against Altman.
Altman’s abrupt dismissal shocked the tech world, with key figures like co-founder Greg Brockman resigning in protest. Investors were equally surprised, having backed Altman as the public face of OpenAI.
After failed weekend negotiations to reinstate Altman, the board appointed former Twitch CEO Emmett Shear as interim chief executive. However, this further angered staff, who saw Shear’s hiring as illegitimate.
The saga underscores a potential talent bleed at the world’s leading AI startup. With Microsoft offering a lifeline, OpenAI could become an acqui-hire for the tech giant.
