Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced on X that Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, formerly the heads of OpenAI, will be joining Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team. The move comes shortly after Altman’s abrupt departure from OpenAI, where he served as CEO, and Brockman’s resignation from his position on the OpenAI board.
Nadella expressed his enthusiasm in a post on X, stating, “I am extremely excited to share the news that Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, together with colleagues, will be joining Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team.” The post also emphasized Microsoft’s continued commitment to its partnership with OpenAI and its anticipation of working with OpenAI’s new CEO, Emmett Shear, who assumed the role on Nov. 20, succeeding Altman.
Altman, ousted from OpenAI by its board of directors on Nov. 17, responded to Nadella’s announcement with a retweet, adding the text, “the mission continues.” His departure from OpenAI was attributed to alleged inconsistencies in his communications with the board. Following Altman’s departure, Brockman chose to step down from his position on the OpenAI board.
In response to the developments, Brockman took to social media expressing shock and sadness over the situation. While OpenAI’s official announcement stated that Brockman stepped down, he clarified in his post that he was informed of his removal.
During the interim period at OpenAI following Altman’s departure, Mira Murati, the former chief technology officer, assumed the role of interim CEO for three days. Murati, who joined OpenAI in 2018 when it operated as a nonprofit research center, played a key role during the transitional period.
As of Nov. 20, Emmett Shear has been named the CEO of OpenAI, taking over the leadership responsibilities from Altman. Shear, the former CEO and co-founder of the video streaming platform Twitch, brings a wealth of experience to the position.
The dynamics of this significant personnel shuffle within the AI and technology space will undoubtedly shape the future landscape of both Microsoft and OpenAI’s endeavors in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.